【芬兰语语法】§94 COMPOUNDING

 The most common type of compound word is made up of two non-derived

nouns. In the following examples, the = symbol indicates internal word

boundaries. Typical compounds are written without spaces.

kirja=kauppa bookshop

vesi=pullo water-bottle

pallo=peli ball game

kirje=kuori envelope (‘letter=cover’)

kivi=katu paved street (‘stone=street’)

kivi=kausi stone age

kirves=varsi axe handle

keittiö=kone kitchen machine, appliance

242 Finnish: An Essential Grammar

The first noun of these compounds is often in the genitive, e.g.:

meren=ranta seashore (cf. meri ‘sea’)

kirjan=kansi book cover (cf. kirja ‘book’)

auton=ikkuna car window (cf. auto ‘car’)

avaimen=reikä keyhole (cf. avain ‘key’)

The components of a compound may also be derived words themselves:

kaiv/in=kone excavator, digging machine

lävist/ys=kone punching-machine

pes/u=kone washing-machine

kone=apu/lainen machine operator

te/o/llis/uus=tuo/ta/nto industrial (‘industry’) production

Also fairly common are compounds with more than two elements, such as:

maa=talo/us=tuo/ta/nto agricultural production

el/o=kuva=te/o/llis/uus film industry

huone=kalu=tehdas furniture factory

koti=tarve=myynti household sale

kauppa=tase=vaja/us deficit in the balance of trade

täyde/nn/ys=koulu/t/us=kys/el/y further training inquiry

el/in=keino=tulo=vero=laki law concerning the taxation of

earned income

Structurally rather complex compounds are formed when one of the elements

is a deverbal noun and/or a word inflecting in a local case:

työn=saa/nti=mahdollis/uus chance of finding work

tode/llis/uuden=hahmo/tta/mis=kyky ability to give shape to reality

oman=voiton=pyy/nti self-interest

jäsen=hanki/nta=kampanja campaign to recruit members

nuoteista=laulu=taito ability to sing at sight

hallituksessa=ol/o=aika period (‘being’) in the government

pysä/hty/mis=merkin=ant/o=nappi button giving the stop signal

Structures of this type are quite common and productive, particularly in the

written language; compare also this example:

prahassa=käy/mä/ttöm/yys=kompleksi

complex about not having been to Prague

Such complex compounds often correspond to complete sentences. There are

also many compound adjectives, especially with a derived adjective as the

second element:

asian=muka/inen appropriate

saman=koko/inen of the same size

Word formation 243

ala=ikä/inen under-age

vapaa=miel/inen liberal-minded

lyhyt=sana/inen taciturn, curt, brief

moni=mutka/inen complicated

suomen=kiel/inen Finnish-speaking

kansan=taju/inen popular, easily comprehensible

kansain=väli/nen international

pitkä=aika/inen long, long-term

The first element of a two-part compound may occasionally differ from the

basic form. This is particularly the case with nominals ending in -nen

(§20.1); in compounds these have the same stem as in the partitive singular,

for example:

kokonais=valta/inen holistic (cf. kokonainen ‘whole’)

nais=suku=puoli female sex (cf. nainen ‘woman’)

yksityis=kohta/inen detailed (cf. yksityinen ‘individual’)

yleis=kieli standard language (cf. yleinen ‘general’)

ihmis=kunta mankind (cf. ihminen ‘man’)

hevos=paimen horse herder (cf. hevonen ‘horse’)

Other special cases include:

suur=piirteinen large-scale; broad-minded (cf. suuri

‘great’)

kolmi=vuot/ias three-year-old (cf. kolme ‘three’)

neli=vuot/ias four-year-old (cf. neljä ‘four’)

There are not many compound verbs in Finnish. Note however:

alle=kirjoittaa sign

kokoon=panna put together

laimin=lyödä neglect

läpi=käydä go through

yllä=pitää maintain, keep up

jälleen=vakunttaa reinsure