Nimillinen

Nimillinen is a term used in linguistic discussions to describe a set of nominal-based constructions found in Finnish and related Finnic languages. The word is formed from nimi, meaning "name" in Finnish, with the adjectival suffix -inen, yielding a label that can be glossed as "name-related" or "nominal." In theoretical syntax, nimillinen has been proposed to denote expressions that function primarily as nouns or as predicates built from nouns, rather than as verbs.

The term is not part of standard Finnish grammar and has limited adoption. Some scholars use nimillinen to classify copular or predicative constructions where a noun or noun phrase serves as the main predicate, contrasting with verbal predicates. Others apply nimillinen more narrowly to determiner-noun phrases that denote identity or classification, rather than to all nominal predicates. Because of varying definitions, nimillinen is largely used within specific analytic frameworks and may not be directly interchangeable with established terms like nominal predicate or copular clause.

Critics argue that nimillinen can be too broad or language-dependent, reducing cross-linguistic comparability. Proponents contend that it can highlight a facet of predication where the nominal form encodes essential identity or designation. In practice, any use of nimillinen should be accompanied by explicit methodological definitions and language-specific criteria.

See also: nominal predicate, copula, nominalization, Finnish grammar.