Sanalliset

Sanalliset is a Finnish adjective—the plural form of sanallinen—used to describe things relating to words or language. In linguistic, educational and cognitive contexts, the term denotes aspects that involve language, as opposed to nonverbal or visual modalities. It is commonly used to characterize tasks, memory or expressions that rely on words.

Etymology: Sanallinen comes from sana, word, with the suffix -llinen, forming “word-based” or “linguistic.” The phrase sanalliset is used as an attributive modifier for plural nouns, for example sanalliset tehtävät (verbal tasks) or sanalliset ohjeet (verbal instructions).

Use in research and practice: In psychology and cognitive science, sanalliset modalities are contrasted with visual or motor modalities to analyze memory, learning and problem solving. In education, sanalliset tehtävät and other sanalliset aineistot refer to language-based assignments, reading comprehension exercises, or oral and written expression tasks. Language professionals may discuss sanalliset taidot, such as vocabulary, grammar and discourse ability.

Related terms: Sanallinen viestintä, sanallinen ilmaisu, and sanallinen kieli appear in discussions of communication and literacy. The word is a descriptive term rather than a strict scientific category, and its precise meaning can vary with discipline and language.

In English-language contexts, the closest equivalents are verbal or language-based. Sanalliset is mainly used within Finnish-language writing to specify word-based content, rather than as a standalone scientific label.