Sanaerityinen

Sanaerityinen is a Finnish term that translates to "word-specific" or "lexically specific" in English. It refers to a phenomenon in language acquisition or processing where a particular word or phrase is learned, understood, or used in a very precise and limited way. This contrasts with a more general or abstract understanding of a concept.

For instance, a child might learn the word "dog" to refer only to their family pet. While they might hear other dogs and see pictures of dogs, their initial semantic understanding of the word is confined to that one specific animal. This is a common stage in early language development.

In a broader sense, sanaerityinen can describe situations where a learned rule or pattern is applied rigidly to a limited set of examples without being generalized. This can occur in learning grammar, vocabulary, or even in the development of cognitive skills. The focus is on the idiosyncratic and narrow application of knowledge to a particular instance rather than a flexible and broader comprehension. This word is not widely used in everyday Finnish conversation but is more commonly found in linguistic or psychological contexts.