Lainaussanan

Lainaussana is a term used in Finnish linguistics to describe a word borrowed from another language and integrated into Finnish vocabulary. In ordinary use, the nominative form is lainaussana, while lainaussanan is the genitive singular, used when referring to the loanword’s properties or origin, for example in phrases like lainaussanan alkuperä (the origin of the loanword).

Lainaussanan entry into Finnish typically occurs through contact with other languages, most often Swedish, English, and Russian, but also via media, literature, or travel. Once borrowed, the word usually undergoes phonological and morphological adaptation to fit Finnish sound patterns and inflection. This can include changes to consonant clusters, vowels, or syllable structure, as well as assignment to Finnish noun inflection classes so that the loanword can take typical Finnish endings.

Lainaussanat are commonly categorized as direct borrowings or calques (loan translations). Direct borrowings retain much of their source form and meaning, though they may be adapted phonologically. Calques reproduce a foreign concept by translating its components into Finnish (for example, a phrase borrowed in a word-for-word sense rather than a single lexeme). In addition, semantic loans spread a meaning from another language to Finnish without a direct equivalent being borrowed as a new word.

Finnish language authorities, such as the Language Institute of Finland (Kotus), document and regulate loanwords in dictionaries and grammar guides, noting how they adapt to Finnish morphology and orthography. Lainaussana thus illustrates how Finnish evolves through external linguistic influence while maintaining its own structural norms.