Pääsupunkti

Pääsupunkti is a term used in theoretical linguistics to denote the central proposition or claim expressed by a sentence or argument. The concept functions as a label for the main point around which other sentence elements and supporting information are organized. It is not part of standard Finnish grammar but appears in some Nordic and comparative discussions as a way to highlight the nucleus of an utterance.

Etymology and usage. The word combines Finnish roots, with pää meaning head or main, and a coinage element supunkti intended to suggest a central point. Because supranational terminology varies, pääsupunkti is not widely standardized and may be described differently by various authors. In practice, researchers who use the term intend to identify the focal proposition that governs the structure and interpretation of the rest of the sentence.

Function and relations. The pääsupunkti is typically considered the core claim that other clauses, modifiers, or evidentiary material support or elaborate. It often correlates with the main clause or the nucleus of the argument, though it is not necessarily identical to the grammatic main clause in all analyses. The concept is related to focus, topic, and rhetorical emphasis, but it centers on the communicative content deemed most important.

Examples. Pääsupunkti: “Pääsyy ongelmalle on resurssien puute.” (The main point is that the problem is due to a lack of resources.) Other elements in the sentence provide context or justification but do not alter the central proposition.

See also: main clause, focus, topic, syntactic head, Finnish linguistics.