Väitelausekkeitä

Väitelausekkeitä is a Finnish linguistic term used to describe clauses that express an assertion or claimed proposition. The word combines väite (claim) and lauseke (clause or expression), reflecting their function as units that convey evaluative or factual content presented as true or believed by the speaker.

Definition and scope

Väitelausekkeitä denote propositional content that functions as an assertion within discourse. They may appear as independent declarative clauses or as embedded content clauses within larger sentences, for example after verbs of saying, thinking, or claiming. In Finnish syntax, such content is often expressed through clauses that carry the proposition content rather than the illocutionary force alone.

Grammatical features

The primary mood of väitelausekkeitä is often indicative, aligning with their role as statements. Modality, evidentiality, or hedging can modify the force of the assertion, using adverbs, modal verbs, or epistemic expressions. Cross-linguistically, these clauses resemble content clauses or that-clauses found in many languages, serving to report or present propositions as part of a larger utterance.

Functions and usage

Väitelausekkeitä are used to present information, beliefs, or arguments in discourse. They are common in academic writing, journalism, and everyday conversation where speakers articulate claims or propositions. In Finnish, they frequently appear in indirect speech or reported content, as in sentences where a verb of saying or thinking introduces the assertion content.

See also

Content clause, declarative clause, indirect speech, modality, epistemic mark.