Kokonaiskielisyyden

Kokonaiskielisyyden is a theoretical term in linguistics used to describe the idea of linguistic totality or completeness within a language system. It refers to the extent to which a language encodes its phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics in a coherent, integrated set of rules and categories.

The word is formed from kokonais- meaning whole or total and kielisyys meaning linguistic character, with the genitive ending -den. In scholarly discussions, kokonaiskielisyyden is often invoked to contrast holistic approaches that view a language as an integrated whole with more modular accounts that emphasize separate, loosely connected subsystems. A high level of kokonaiskielisyyden is associated with strong internal coherence and cross-component regularities, while a low level suggests fragmentation, substantial variation, or external influences on different subsystems.

Usage and implications: The concept functions mainly as a framing device rather than a directly measurable property. It can be employed in typological analysis, the design of constructed languages, or theoretical debates about how tightly grammar encodes linguistic distinctions such as tense, mood, case, or word order. Because there is no standardized metric, assessments of kokonaiskielisyyden are qualitative, relying on judgments about coherence, regularity, and the degree of interaction among linguistic components.

Critics argue that the notion can be vague or biased toward idealized languages, potentially overlooking sociolinguistic variation and historical change. Proponents counter that it provides a useful lens for examining how different linguistic subsystems interact within a language.

See also: linguistic typology, grammatical coherence, modularity in linguistics, holistic grammar theories.