Ujjnyomat

Ujjnyomat is the Hungarian term for a fingerprint, the impression made by the skin ridges on a fingertip. Fingerprints are considered highly distinctive and remain essentially constant over a person’s life, making them a key method of personal identification. The word derives from ujj, meaning finger, and nyomat, meaning print.

An ujjnyomat reflects the pattern of ridge lines on the finger, which can be categorized into arches, loops, and whorls, with numerous minutiae points used for detailed comparison. In practice, fingerprints may be visible when inked on paper or digitized as a scan. Latent prints—those left unintentionally by sweat and oils on surfaces—often require development or enhancement to be analyzed. Forensic fingerprint analysis combines pattern classification with minutiae matching to assess whether two prints originate from the same individual.

Collection and storage methods vary. Fingerprints can be obtained by applying ink to a finger and rolling it onto paper, or by capturing digital images with scanners. Latent prints are recovered from objects at scenes and may be photographed or enhanced before analysis. In many countries, ujjnyomat data are stored in national or international biometric databases and are used for identification, background checks, border control, and crime solving. International systems such as automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) enable rapid comparison against large repositories of prints.

Legal and ethical considerations address the privacy and governance of biometric data. Fingerprint information is sensitive personal data, typically regulated by privacy and data protection laws, with rules governing collection, storage, access, retention, and permissible uses to prevent misuse.