kokonaiskuitenkin

Kokonaiskuitenkin is a neologism used in Finnish linguistics and discourse analysis to describe a rhetorical pattern in which a speaker offers an overall assessment while conceding some negative aspects. The term is formed by combining kokonais- meaning “overall” or “total” with kuitenkin meaning “nevertheless,” yielding a sense akin to “overall, nevertheless.” It appears mainly in written Finnish, especially in academic writing, commentary, and media analysis, rather than in everyday speech. It has not been adopted into major dictionaries, and its precise usage varies among authors.

Etymology and meaning: The word deliberately links an overarching judgment with a concession, signaling that the speaker intends to balance positives and negatives within a single evaluative frame. This makes it a marker of holistic assessment rather than a simple concessive statement.

Usage and examples: The construction signals a reconciliation of a holistic judgment with surface-level drawbacks. It often introduces conclusions that aim to maintain a balanced view or to foreground trade-offs in policy, research, or criticism. Example: “Kokonaiskuitenkin projektin vaikutukset ovat myönteisiä, vaikka kustannuksissa on haasteita.” Another example: “Kokonaiskuitenkin on tärkeää huomioida pitkäaikaiset vaikutukset.”

Status and reception: The term remains a niche analytic label. Some linguists view it as a helpful shorthand for a common discourse practice; others warn that it can be opaque and contribute to clumsy phrasing. See also discourse marker, concessive construction, hedging.