Itseilmaistavat

Itseilmaistavat ispeint a term used in Finnish linguistics to refer to elements in discourse that convey the speaker’s self-expression, attitudes, or personal engagement. The concept covers how a speaker positions themselves within a statement, signaling subjectivity, stance, or evaluative stance toward a topic.

The word itself is formed from itse, meaning “self,” and ilmaista, meaning “to express,” with the typical Finnish plural/adjectival ending -vat. In analysis, itseilmaistavat can function as a class of expressions or signals that foreground the speaker’s point of view, rather than mere information transmission. They may appear as individual words, phrases, or syntactic constructions that reveal the speaker’s involvement or stance.

In discourse,itseilmaistavat serve several functions. They can mark stance or affect, highlight the speaker’s position on a matter, or introduce a personal evaluation. Examples include first-person references ("minä," "meidän mielestämme"), evaluative or affective adverbs and adjectives, and discourse markers that foreground subjectivity (for instance, phrases akin to “valitettavasti,” “itse asiassa,” or “minun mielestäni” in Finnish contexts). They are found in both spoken and written Finnish, with notable presence in media rhetoric, political discourse, and social media communication.

From a research perspective,itseilmaistavat are analyzed within stance-taking and appraisal frameworks in sociolinguistics and discourse analysis. Researchers study how self-expression shapes credibility, identity, authority, and audience perception. Related concepts include stance markers, appraisal, self-reference, and discourse markers.

See also: stance, appraisal theory, discourse markers, self-reference, subjectivity in language.