Alkukäli

Alkukäli is a term found in some Estonian- and Finnish-language linguistic writings. It is not a standard term in established grammar traditions, and its exact meaning varies by author. Etymologically, the word combines elements that can be read as “beginning” (alku) and “part” or “segment” (käli), but this construction is descriptive rather than a fixed scholarly definition.

Definition and usage

Because alkukäli is not universally standardized, its interpretation is context-dependent. In some discussions, it refers to the initial part of a word singled out for analysis in a given framework. Depending on the approach, alkukäli may denote:

- the initial syllable of a word, used in prosodic or metrical analysis;

- the initial consonant cluster or onset, used in segmental phonology;

- the first morpheme of a compound or derivational word, used in morphological analyses.

In practice, the boundary of what constitutes the alkukäli is determined by the specific analytical goals and criteria of the author, and it can differ between studies.

Examples

If a framework treats alkukäli as the initial syllable, the Estonian word example koolitus would have its alkukäli as kool-. If treated as the initial consonant cluster, the alkukäli of koolitus would be k or kl, depending on the scheme.

See also

See also: prefix, syllable, onset, morphology.

Notes

Because the term is not part of a standardized nomenclature, readers should consult the defining source in each work to understand what is meant by alkukäli in that context.