aikajänteiset

Aikajänteiset is a term used in linguistic typology and Finnish grammar to describe predicates, verbs, or events that denote duration or extending over a period of time, rather than a single, instantaneous moment. The concept is closely related to the idea of durative aspect, which marks ongoing or prolonged activities as opposed to punctual, completed events.

In Finnish, aikajänteiset are not typically encoded by a specialized verb form. Instead, the durative meaning is often conveyed through context and the use of time-denoting phrases and adverbials such as koko illan (the whole evening), kahden viikon ajan (for two weeks), or siihen asti (up to that point). The same verb can express different temporal readings depending on accompanying temporal expressions and tense.

Examples illustrating a durative reading include: Hän luki kirjaa koko illan. (He read a book all evening.) Hän maalasi taloa kahden viikon ajan. (He painted the house for two weeks.) These sentences emphasize the duration of the activity rather than its point of completion, relying on temporal modifiers to establish the time span.

Cross-linguistically, aikajänteiset are contrasted with punctual or telic events, which are viewed as bounded and completed at a specific moment. In some languages, explicit durative morphology marks these readings, while others, like Finnish, rely more on adverbials and periphrastic constructions. The concept aids in analyzing how languages encode temporal structure and the semantics of duration.

See also: aspect, durative, telicity, temporal expression.