adjektiivimaisen

Adjektiivimaisen is a linguistic term used in Finnish to describe something that has the character or function of an adjective. The word is formed from adjektiivi (adjective) plus the suffix -mainen, which in Finnish means “like” or “resembling.” As a result, adjektiivimainen refers to forms, expressions, or categories that behave or are described as adjective-like within a given grammatical or semantic context.

In Finnish grammar, adjectives are a distinct part of speech that modify nouns and agree with number and case. The adjectival modifier may appear in various constructions, and the label adjektiivimainen is used in linguistic descriptions to indicate that a term or a construction possesses adjectival properties even if its origin or exact classification differs from a basic, uninflected adjective. For example, certain derivational or participial forms can be analyzed as having adjectival-like function or semantics, and thus may be discussed as adjektiivimaisia ilmaisumuotoja (adjectival-like expressions) in scholarly work.

Adjektiivimaisen as a form is most often encountered in descriptive or theoretical discussions rather than in everyday language use. It serves to distinguish between elements that natively belong to the adjektiivipäätteinen sanaluokka and those that function like adjectives in particular syntactic positions. The concept helps linguists map how adjective-like meaning and modification occur across different morphological or syntactic contexts.

See also: adjektiivi, -mainen suffix, kielioppi (grammar).