Eikuvailullinen

Eikuvailullinen is a Finnish adjective formed with the negating prefix ei- and the base kuvailullinen, which relates to description or depiction. The term is used to indicate that something is not descriptive or not pictorial, i.e., it lacks vivid imagery or detailed depictions. It is primarily found in specialized discussions such as literary analysis, rhetoric, or media critique, rather than in everyday language.

Etymology and meaning: kuvailullinen derives from kuvaile- meaning to describe or to depict, with the typical Finnish suffix -llinen indicating a property. Adding ei- negates this property, yielding eikuvailullinen to describe a mode that avoids descriptive or illustrational language or imagery. In practice, it signals a focus on non-descriptive aspects such as structure, argument, or abstraction.

Usage: The term is relatively rare and provincial to certain scholarly contexts. In descriptions, eikuvailullinen may characterize prose, speech, or visual media that rely less on sensory detail and more on facts, logic, or procedural presentation. It can be contrasted with kuvailullinen, which denotes a descriptive or imagistic style.

Examples: A sentence describing a passage as eikuvailullinen might read: “Tekstin tyyli on eikuvailullinen: se korostaa argumentin rakennetta eikä yksityiskohtaista kuvailua.” In film critique, a scene described as eikuvailullinen would emphasize dialogue or montage over vivid imagery.

See also: kuvailullinen, kuvaileva kieli, non-descriptive terminology in Finnish rhetorical discourse. Note: eikuvailullinen is not a standard, widely used term and may vary in interpretation across scholars.