Arvonimillä

Arvonimillä is a Finnish linguistic term referring to the use of honorifics and titles in addressing and referring to people. The base term arnomimi means a title of honor, and arvonimillä is the plural adessive form meaning “with honorifics.” In scholarly discussions it describes how speakers employ titles to indicate politeness, rank, or professional status in social interaction and writing.

Common forms of arvonimet include personal honorifics such as herra (Mr.), rouva (Mrs.), and neiti (Miss), which are used in formal or respectful address, often together with a surname. Professional and academic titles—such as tohtori (doctor), professori (professor), insinööri (engineer)—are also arvonimet and are typically placed before the name in formal writing or in direct address. In spoken Finnish, taiteen ja viranomaisten kontekstissa teitittely (you-form) is commonly used, whereas sinuttelu (you-form) may reduce the use of formal titles.

The use of arvonimet serves social functions: signaling formality, social distance, age, gender, and professional status; guiding appropriate discourse in official communications, media, and interpersonal encounters. In Finland, the practice has historical roots in Swedish influence and evolves with contemporary norms, where formal titles are more common in official contexts and less so in casual conversation. Some titles, such as rouva, are increasingly rare in everyday speech but remain standard in formal addresses and written conventions.

See also: teitittely, sinuttelu, työelämän ja akateemisen maailman arvonimet.