Loppulause

Loppulause is a Finnish term used in linguistics and legal drafting to denote the final component of a sentence or document. The word is a compound of loppu meaning “end” and lause meaning “clause” or “sentence.” In general use, loppulause refers to the concluding part that completes meaning or formalizes a text.

In grammar, loppulause describes the last clause in a complex sentence. It may express the conclusion, result, or subsequent action, and it interacts with punctuation and intonation in spoken Finnish. Finnish sentence structure often treats the loppulause as the part that ultimately determines the overall proposition of the sentence, even when earlier clauses set up conditions or background information.

In legal and formal writing, loppulause refers to closing provisions at the end of a document, such as a contract, statute, or treaty. These clauses commonly address issues like entry into force, amendments, transitional rules, governing law, and signatures. The term highlights the conventional place of these provisions in many official texts and their function as a formal wrap-up of the document’s operative content.

See also: closing clause, final clause, legal drafting, Finnish grammar. The concept is primarily used in Finnish-language contexts and is translated into English as “closing clause” or “final clause” depending on the domain.