Saviperäisiä

Saviperäisiä is a Finnish adjective used chiefly in geology, geomorphology and soil science to describe materials or soils that originate from clay (savi) or contain a substantial clay fraction. The form saviperäistä/saviperäisiä matches Finnish noun phrases where the adjective modifies a noun such as maalajit (soil types) or sedimentit.

The etymology combines savi (clay) with the suffix -peräinen, meaning derived from or belonging to.

In practice, saviperäisiä maalajeja refers to clay-rich soils and sediments and are characterized by a fine-grained texture, high plasticity and relatively low permeability compared with sandy ones. The term is typically used in soil surveys, land evaluation and environmental assessments to distinguish clay-origin materials from hiekkaperäisiä (sandy-origin) or moreeniperäisiä (moraine-derived) deposits.

In geomorphology and archaeology, saviperäisiä sediments can indicate deposition in clay-favorable environments, such as lacustrine or deltaic settings, and help interpret past hydrological conditions. The term is technical and primarily appears in Finnish-language scientific literature rather than everyday discourse.

Related concepts include savi (clay), maalaji (soil type), and sedimentary terminology describing particle-size and origin.