Sukupuolta

Sukupuolta is the partitive singular form of the Finnish noun sukupuoli, which means gender or sex. In Finnish grammar, nouns take different forms to indicate case and quantity, and the partitive case is used for indefinite quantities, ongoing actions, or when the object is not complete. Therefore, sukupuolta appears in clauses and phrases where gender or sex is discussed in a partial or non-confirmed sense.

The base concept sukupuoli covers both biological aspects of sex and the social aspects of gender. In contemporary Finnish usage, the word can refer to biological sex, gender identity, or the categorization of people by gender in statistical and sociological contexts. The language also uses related terms to specify scope, such as sukupuolijakauma for gender distribution and sukupuolten tasa-arvo for gender equality among multiple groups.

In demographic and policy discussions, sukupuolta is encountered as a measurable category in data reports and surveys. Researchers might analyze changes in sukupuolijakauma over time or compare outcomes across different gender groups. The form sukupuolta, as part of the grammatical system, enables these discussions by marking the appropriate grammatical role in sentences that address portions or aspects of gender.

Etymology in broad terms traces sukupuoli to a compound of suku (family, lineage) and puoli (side, part), reflecting historical notions of lineage and social grouping. Today the term is widely used across linguistics, statistics, health, and social studies to refer to gender or sex as a category of analysis.

See also sukupuoli; gender studies; sukupuolijakauma; sukupuolten tasa-arvo.