Casevoimakkuus

Casevoimakkuus, often translated as "case strength" or "intensity of the case," is a concept primarily used in linguistics and stylistics to describe the degree to which a particular grammatical case is realized or emphasized within a sentence or discourse. It's not a formally defined grammatical category in the same way as nominative or accusative, but rather a descriptive tool. Higher casevoimakkuus might indicate a more prominent or distinct marking of the case's function. For instance, in languages with rich inflectional systems, a clearly marked genitive might be considered to have high casevoimakkuus, while a dative whose function is often conveyed through prepositions or word order might have lower casevoimakkuus in that specific context.

The concept can also relate to the semantic weight carried by a case. A case that clearly denotes a specific and crucial role in the event described, such as the agent in an ergative-absolutive language, could be seen as having high casevoimakkuus. Conversely, a case that has a broader range of functions or is more subtly implied might have lower casevoimakkuus. Linguists might use this term to analyze how case marking contributes to the overall clarity, emphasis, or expressiveness of a language. It helps in understanding the nuances of how grammatical relationships are conveyed beyond simple identification of a case.