Salaisuus

Salaisuus is a Finnish noun meaning "secret" or "concealed information." It refers to information that is intended to be kept hidden from others or not publicly known. In everyday language, salaisuus can denote personal secrets, confidential matters, or mysteries.

Etymology and form: The word is formed from the verb salata, meaning "to hide," with the abstract noun suffix -aisuus, which expresses a state or quality. The related adjective salainen means "secret." The term is widely used across different registers, from informal speech to formal writing.

Usage: Salaisuus can refer to a wide range of concealed information, including personal secrets, private plans, or confidential data within organizations. Common expressions include keeping something salaisuutena (keeping it as a secret) and taking steps to paljastaa or paljastumisen of a salaisuus (the disclosure of a secret). In legal and ethical contexts, related terms such as salassapitovelvollisuus (duty of confidentiality) are used to describe obligations to protect information.

Cultural and contextual notes: The concept of salaisuus appears frequently in Finnish literature, media, and everyday discourse as a motif that touches on privacy, trust, and ethics. Its use can convey tension between transparency and discretion, personal boundaries, and the responsibilities of handling sensitive information.

See also: salainen, salailu, salassapito, salassapitovelvollisuus.