Monikkoasento

Monikkoasento, literally "plural position," is a linguistic term used in Finnish grammar to describe how plurality is realized in a clause. It covers the ways number is encoded in noun phrases, verbs, adjectives, determiners, and pronouns, and how these elements interact in syntax and morphology.

In noun phrases, plurality is typically marked on the noun with the suffix -t (poika -> pojat) and is accompanied by plural forms of adjectives and determiners (iso poika -> isot pojat). Finnish verbs also reflect number in finite clauses, with present-tense third-person plural forms such as pelaavat (they play). Pronouns and other determiners also encode number, allowing a sentence to indicate who is involved.

Monikkoasento interacts with case marking: nouns in the plural take case endings that differ from singular, influencing the form of the entire noun phrase and its modifiers. The concept is contrasted with yksikköasento, or the singular position, which governs singular noun forms and the corresponding verb forms.

In linguistic analysis, monikkoasento helps describe how a clause's subject and predicate align in number and how listeners interpret plurality in discourse. It is relevant in typological comparisons, where languages vary in whether plurality is expressed mainly on the noun, the verb, or through a combination of both.

See also: number, subject-verb agreement, Finnish grammar.