Tukeudellisia

Tukeudellisia is a term used in discourse analysis and linguistics to describe utterances that base their claims on external sources, authorities, or prior knowledge rather than on the speaker’s direct evidence. The word is formed from the Finnish verb tukeutua (to lean on, rely on) with the suffix -llisia to denote a class of items. In scholarly usage, tukeudellisia statements are those whose semantic force depends on attribution to another source.

In practice, tukeudellisia expressions appear when speakers frame statements as grounded in evidence outside themselves, such as "according to experts," "the data show," or "as reported by authorities." They function to hedge epistemic stance and to share responsibility for the claim, rather than to present independent, directly observed facts.

Etymology and scope: The term is used to categorize epistemic actions in discourse, including attribution, citation, and external grounding. It helps distinguish claims that rest on direct observation from those that rest on cited or presumed information. Researchers may analyze how often tukeudellisia formulations occur, in what genres they appear (media, political speech, academic writing), and how they influence perceived credibility.

Examples: Finnish phrases that illustrate tukeudellisia framing include "Tutkimuksen mukaan" (According to the study), "Asiantuntijoiden mukaan" (According to experts), and "Tilastoihin tukeutuen väitän, että…" (Based on statistics, I argue that…). In English, common equivalents include "According to the data" or "Experts say."

See also: epistemic modality, hedging, source attribution, quotative frame.