keelejuuri

Keelejuuri is a linguistic term used in Finnish-language discussions of morphology to denote the base form of a word from which inflected or derived forms are created. It is closely related to concepts such as root, stem, and lemma, though its exact usage can vary between grammars and linguistic traditions.

In practical terms, the keelejuuri is the core form that carries the essential lexical content, with inflectional endings or derivational affixes attached to it. It is a central unit in word-formation analysis, helping to explain how related words are built from a common base and how different forms relate to one another within a language's morphology.

Relation to lemma and stem can differ by tradition. In many contexts the keelejuuri corresponds to a word’s lemma or dictionary form, but some analyses treat the keelejuuri as a more abstract underlying root that may differ from the surface form used as the lemma after phonological or orthographic changes. Consequently, the keelejuuri and the canonical dictionary form are sometimes the same, sometimes distinct, depending on the language and analytical framework.

Examples are used to illustrate the concept. For an English word like running, the keelejuuri is commonly considered to be run, the base form from which the gerund or participle is derived. For happiness, the keelejuuri is typically the adjective happy, with the noun suffix -ness forming the related noun. In practice, exact definitions vary, and the term is primarily used within Finnish linguistic literature and related discussions of morphology.