Gammakäännös

Gammakäännös is a term used in Finnish to describe a specific type of linguistic phenomenon. It refers to the alteration of consonants at the beginning of a word, particularly the change of the voiceless stop consonants k, p, and t into their voiced counterparts g, b, and d, respectively, when certain grammatical conditions are met. This process is a part of Finnish consonant gradation, a complex system that affects consonants within words and at word boundaries based on grammatical context.

The term "gammakäännös" itself highlights the prominent example of k becoming g. However, it is important to note that the phenomenon encompasses the changes of p to b and t to d as well, although these are less frequently referred to by this specific term. For instance, in possessive constructions or certain verb forms, a word that might start with 'k' can appear with 'g'. This is not a case of distinct words but rather a morphological variation of the same word depending on its grammatical function in a sentence.

Understanding gammakäännös is crucial for learners of Finnish as it affects pronunciation and spelling. It is a key feature of Finnish grammar that distinguishes it from many other European languages. While the exact phonetic realization of 'g' in Finnish can vary and sometimes sounds more like a 'k' or a fricative, the concept of this voiced consonant appearing where a voiceless one might be expected is central to the gammakäännös.