Nimeämään

Nimeämään is a Finnish non-finite verb form, described as the third infinitive of the verb nimeä, which means to name or designate. In Finnish grammar, non-finite forms like the third infinitive are used to express actions without a marked subject and often in constructions that indicate purpose, sequence, or modality. Nimeämään is most commonly encountered in formal or literary language, and it is not the simple present or past tense form of the verb.

Morphology and formation: The third infinitive in Finnish is typically formed from the verb stem by adding the ending -maan or -mään, depending on vowel harmony and the specific verb class. For nimeä, the corresponding third infinitive form is nimeämään. This form contrasts with the first infinitive nimeä (to name) and with nominalized or finite verb forms used in everyday speech.

Usage and function: Nimeämään functions as a non-finite verb form that can participate in complex clauses, often to express purpose, intention, or an action related to naming without introducing a finite subject. It can occur in written registers, official language, or historical texts where non-finite constructions are more common. In contemporary everyday Finnish, speakers typically rely on finite forms or other non-finite constructions like nimeäminen (the noun form “naming”) to convey related ideas.

Relation to related forms: Nimeämään is related to nimeä (the basic infinitive) and nimeäminen (the nominalized form). It is also contrasted with nimittää (to designate) in meaning, though both revolve around the act of naming or designating. Understanding nimeämään requires awareness of Finnish non-finite verb morphology and the broader system of infinitives.

See also: Finnish grammar, infinitive forms, -maan/-mään suffix, nimeäminen, nimittää.