Ilmaisuttava

Ilmaisuttava is a Finnish linguistic term used to describe something that expresses or conveys meaning. It functions as the present active participle of the verb ilmaisuttaa, and in descriptive grammar it is treated as an adjective meaning “expressive” or “capable of expressing.” The form is part of the Finnish participial system, where the suffix -ttava is commonly used to derive adjectives from verbs.

The term is mainly found in linguistic analysis, stylistics and literary critique rather than in everyday speech. It is used to label linguistic or stylistic devices that carry an emotional, evaluative, or interpretive charge beyond the literal content. For example, ilmaisuttava ilmaus refers to an expression that conveys additional meaning; ilmaisuttava sävy can describe a tone that expresses attitude; ilmaisuttava retoriikka may point to rhetoric whose purpose is to express a particular stance.

In practical terms, speakers may prefer more common descriptors such as ilmaiseva (expressive) or kuvaileva (descriptive), but ilmaisuttava remains a useful term in academic contexts for emphasizing the expressive force of a form, utterance, or stylistic choice. The word illustrates how Finnish uses participial adjectives to articulate nuances of communication, emotion, and interpretation within discourse and text analysis.