Liittosanaa

Liittosanaa is a term used in Finnish linguistics to refer to a word class that serves to connect other elements in a sentence or larger phrase. It covers words that function primarily as connectors rather than as carriers of lexical meaning. The exact scope of liittosanaa varies among grammars, but it commonly includes conjunctions and linking particles that join words, phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Functionally, liittosanaa ensure coherence by signaling relationships such as addition, contrast, choice, cause, time, or condition. This class is typically closed, meaning new members are rarely created, and many of its members are unstressed function words with little semantic content on their own.

Examples often cited include ja (and), sekä (and also), tai (or), mutta (but), joten (therefore). Subordinate connectors such as että (that), kun (when), jos (if) are also treated as liittosanaa in some grammars, though others classify them as subordinating conjunctions within a broader category of sentence connectors.

Terminology around liittosanaa varies; some sources use the term liittosana narrowly for coordinating conjunctions, others use it more broadly as a label for any connecting word in Finnish syntax. Because Finland's linguistic traditions sometimes distinguish between liittosana and other function words, definitions may differ across dictionaries and university grammars.

See also: Finnish language, conjunction, function word, syntax, grammar.