kielettömän

Kielettömän is a Finnish inflected form of the adjective kielitön, meaning "without language" or "speechless/mute." In grammatical terms, kielettömän is the genitive singular form used to describe something belonging to or relating to a mute person or to the state of being speechless. The base word kielitön is formed from kieli (language, tongue) and the suffix -tön, which conveys negation or absence.

Usage and nuance

Kielitön describes a person, representation, or situation lacking speech or language. In everyday language it can refer to individuals who cannot speak due to disability or medical condition, though in clinical or sensitive contexts other terms may be preferred. The word can also function metaphorically, for example to describe silence or a lack of expression in an object or situation. As a genitive, kielettömän typically appears in phrases such as “kielettömän henkilön tarina” (the story of the mute person) or “kielettömän lapsen hoito” (care of the mute child), where it marks possession or attribution.

Relation to related terms

The noun form corresponding to the adjective is kielettömyys, which denotes the state or quality of being mute or speechless. Other related terms include kieli (language, tongue) and puhe (speech). In Finnish, the concept of being without language is primarily expressed with kielitön and its inflected forms, rather than with ad hoc derivations.

Notes

Kielettömän as a standalone entry typically appears in linguistic or dictionary contexts to illustrate inflection. For broader discussion of speech, language, or communication, related topics such as kielellisyys, kielenkäyttö, and puhe- ja kommunikaatiovaikeudet may be relevant.

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