Huuliltaan

Huuliltaan is a Finnish adverbial expression meaning “from the lips” and is used to attribute spoken words to a specific person. The form combines the noun huuli (lip) with a suffix indicating origin, yielding huuliltaan; literally, “from his/her lips.” It is commonly used in both narrative and reported speech to signal that the following utterance originated from the person in question. The phrase can function with verbs of saying or describing speech, and it often appears in literary prose as a stylistic device to emphasize directness or authenticity, though it is also found in journalism and everyday language.

Usage notes: It should not be confused with literal descriptions of physical actions at the mouth; rather, it marks the origin of a statement. In many contexts, simpler alternatives such as “hän sanoi” or “hänen suustaan” may be more natural. The expression can carry nuance: it can imply that the speaker’s words are being recalled exactly, or that the remark is especially characteristic of that person. Related expressions include suusta suuhun (word of mouth) and “häneltä kuultua” (heard from him). Huuliltaan is most common in Finnish written prose and sometimes in spoken language, and is generally considered neutral in tone.