Kieltoasettelu

Kieltoasettelu is a term used in Finnish linguistics to describe the set of grammatical patterns that express prohibitions within sentences. The concept concerns how negation is arranged and how different constructions convey that an action is forbidden, including nuances of force, formality, and politeness. Kieltoasettelu covers both the form of the prohibition and its place in the larger sentence structure.

Typical prohibitive forms discussed under kieltoasettelu include several overlapping patterns. One common form is the negative imperative, such as Älä koske tähän, meaning Do not touch this. Another important pattern is the periphrastic prohibition with a modal or auxiliary verb, for example Et saa mennä ulos (You may not go outside) or Ei ole sallittua koskea tätä (It is not permissible to touch this). There are also adjectival or nominal expressions of prohibition, such as Se on kielletty (It is forbidden). The placement of the negation particle ei relative to the verb, as well as the choice between finite and non-finite forms, contribute to subtle differences in emphasis and formality.

The study of kieltoasettelu also considers dialectal and register-based variation, where different communities may favor distinct prohibitive constructions. In language teaching and descriptive grammar, the concept helps explain how speakers encode rules and bans in everyday speech and instructional contexts. It intersects with broader topics such as negation, modality, and speech act force.

See also: negation, Finnish grammar, modality, prohibition.