kertoima

Kertoima is a term used in the study of narrative and discourse to denote the act of recounting events through speech or writing. In Finnish-language scholarship, it is encountered as a nominal form derived from the verb kertoa (to tell). The most common everyday terms for the same idea are kertomus (a story) and kertominen (the act of telling); kertoima is less common and its precise meaning can vary between authors.

In linguistic description, kertoima may refer to the act of telling as a linguistic event within a larger discourse, for example when analyzing how an utterance functions as a telling of a narrative, or when distinguishing the act of reporting speech from the content being reported. It is related to concepts such as narration, narrative voice, and reported speech, but functions as a specific nominalization focusing on the telling action rather than the story itself.

Usage of the term is not standardized across all Nordic or Finnic linguistics, and some scholars prefer alternative terms like kertominen or kertomus. When encountered, the interpretation of kertoima relies on the surrounding text and the author's definitions. It is most commonly found in academic writing rather than everyday language.

See also: kertomus, kertominen, narratology, narration, reported speech, discourse analysis.