Lyhennesanan

Lyhennesanan is a term used in discussions of sentence minimality in linguistics. It denotes the shortest possible complete sentence in a language, focusing on utterances that convey a complete proposition with minimal syntactic material. The term is a neologism rooted in Finnish, combining lyhyt meaning "short" and sana meaning "word," and is used informally to describe a one-utterance unit that functions as a sentence in context.

In practice, a Lyhennesanan is typically an utterance that is grammatically well-formed, pragmatically sufficient, and able to stand alone in discourse. In Finnish, examples often cited are imperative or interjective one-word sentences such as Mene! (Go!), Lopeta! (Stop!), and Kiitos. (Thanks.). While Finnish allows subject ellipsis, the determination of a Lyhennesanan depends on context and the degree to which the utterance carries a complete intent on its own.

Status and usage: The term remains informal and not part of formal grammar, but it is used as a teaching heuristic in courses on syntax and discourse. It serves to illustrate how few linguistic elements can still yield a meaningful, complete utterance, and it prompts examination of how context, tone, and syntax work together to convey complete messages with minimal material. Some linguists caution that the concept is language-dependent and may not classify single-word utterances as full sentences in every linguistic tradition.

See also: Ellipsis, Imperative mood, Minimal sentence, Communicative economy.