kotisilmuri

Kotisilmuri is a traditional Finnish expression used to describe a verb solely in its dash (-) form, without a separate infinitive form. This means that verbs in Finnish can be conjugated and used in sentences without having an "i" ending to indicate infinitivity. The expression "kotisilmuri" literally translates to "home-counting" in English, with "koti" meaning home and "silmuri" possibly derived from the word "silmä", referring to the eye, but likely in the sense of watchfulness or oversight.

The term Kotisilmuri is often associated with Professor Martti Siipola, a Finnish linguist who used it to describe the unique characteristics of the verb morphology in the Finnish language. Siipola argued that the absence of a distinct infinitive form in Finnish verbs results in a converted pronoun suffix in certain grammatical contexts, essentially modifying the verb meaning in relation to the recipient of the action. This distinction is not typically expressed in English language descriptions of Finnish grammar.

In modern times, the term Kotisilmuri is often used to illustrate this point, having gained prominence in linguistics debates and discussions surrounding the complexities of Finnish verb morphology. The concept itself remains a subject of study and interest in Finnish linguistics, offering insights into the intricacies of the language's uniquely structured grammar system.