Lainamuoto

Lainamuoto is a term used in Finnish linguistics to describe the form of a word that has been borrowed from another language and integrated into Finnish. It encompasses both the orthographic form of the loanword as used in Finnish and its inflected forms according to Finnish grammar. The concept helps describe how borrowings adapt phonology and morphology to Finnish rules.

In linguistic description, lainamuoto is often contrasted with native word forms. A loanword may retain aspects of its original form, or it may be fully assimilated and take regular Finnish inflection. The choice of inflection pattern can depend on factors such as the word’s level of familiarity, frequency, and standard practice in the language community. Dictionaries and grammars frequently indicate a word’s lainamuoto to show that it is borrowed and to guide its morphological usage.

Examples illustrate the idea. The loanword sushi is used in Finnish with nominative sushi, genitive sushin, partitive sushia, and plural sushit, demonstrating how a borrowed word can follow a regular Finnish inflection pattern. Another example is bonus, which takes standard Finnish inflection: bonuksen (genitive), bonusta (partitive), and bonukset (plural). These patterns show how lainamuoto interacts with Finnish morphology while retaining recognizable characteristics from the source word.

The concept is useful in lexicography, language teaching, and language planning, as it clarifies which words are borrowed and how they behave in Finnish syntax and morphology.