Generic mood

Genericity designated in linguistics the property of certain terms to be interpreted to refer to classes of objects. In contrast, a referential interpretation. Generic terms are used to bring generalizations about them designating classes expressed. The following example from German triggers the use of the noun car as noun phrase without the article and adjective modifying a generic interpretation thereof:

From the incorporated elements is said that they are generally to be regarded rather as a generic and not as referierend.