Kirjaimin

Kirjaimin is a Finnish term used in linguistic, archival, and legal contexts to denote information or expression that exists in written form as opposed to spoken form. The word is formed from the noun kirja- meaning “letter” or “character” and the adverbial suffix -in, producing an adverb meaning “by letters” or “in writing.” In practice, kirjaimin is used to distinguish written records, transcripts, or documents from oral testimony or verbal agreement. In Finnish usage you might encounter phrases such as “vastaus annettiin kirjaimin” or “asiakirjoitus on esitetty kirjaimin”—though in everyday speech the term is relatively formal and more common in legal, archival, or academic texts.

While not a common everyday term, kirjaimin appears in dictionaries and glossaries that describe mode of communication or data representation. It is often contrasted with suullisesti (orally) or puhuttuna (spoken). In digital contexts, kirjaimin can also appear in discussions about transcription conventions, OCR outputs, or when specifying that a record was provided as written text.

See also: kirjaimellinen, kirjallinen, kirjaimia koskevat terms.

Translations and usage note: The concept is primarily described in Finnish-language sources and may not have a direct one-word English equivalent; translations include “in writing” or “written form.” The term remains most common in formal registers and specialized texts rather than everyday conversation.

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