Nimilauseen

Nimilauseen is a Finnish term used to describe a nominal clause, a type of clause in which the predication is expressed by a noun phrase or an adjective without a finite verb. In Finnish grammar, nimilauseen typically serves to state identity, classification, or description, rather than to narrate an action. The construction is especially common in headlines, signs, telegraphic writing, or other contexts where concise or economical expression is preferred. In standard prose, nimilauseen are often avoided in favor of sentences that include a finite verb, but they can appear for stylistic or formulaic effect.

The basic structure of a nimilauseen involves a subject idea (often a proper noun or noun phrase) followed by a predicative noun or adjective that namingly describes or categorizes the subject. Because the finite copula olla (to be) is typically omitted in these constructions, the phrase can read as a stand-alone identification rather than a complete sentence. When the copula does appear, it is usually in a non-finite or non-present form, or it is implied by punctuation or context.

Nimilauseen contrasts with verblause, where a finite verb provides explicit predication and tense. While nimilauseen are legitimate in various Finnish registers, they are most productive in stylized, reversible, or headline-like language, and are less common in ordinary narrative prose. They illustrate how Finnish can encode predication compactly through nominal phrases rather than through a full verb-based predicate.

See also: Finnish grammar, copula (olla), nominal sentence, verblause.