liittyysanan

Liittyysana is a term used in Finnish language studies to refer to a word category that serves as a linker or connector between other words or clauses. The form liittyysanan is the genitive singular of liittyysana. In practice, the concept covers connective elements that express relations and help join linguistic units, including conjunctions, prepositions or postpositions, and certain particles that attach to phrases.

The scope and definition of liittyysana vary across grammars. In some traditions it functions as a broad umbrella for words that create syntactic connections, while in modern descriptive Finnish grammars more specific terms are typically used for subtypes such as konjunktiot (conjunctions), prepositiot (prepositions) or postpositional elements, and relatiivipronominit (relative pronouns or particles). Because of this variation, not all Finnish grammars treat liittyysana as a single, distinct category.

Typical examples of what might be encompassed under the term include ja (and), mutta (but), tai (or), sekä...että (both...and), koska (because), jotta (so that), ja muutama muu sideword or connective particle. These elements help coordinate, subordinate, or otherwise relate different parts of a sentence.

In current linguistic practice, the umbrella use of liittyysana is less common in favor of more precise terminology, but the concept remains useful in historical or pedagogical contexts to describe words that function primarily as connectors rather than as content-bearing elements. See also: conjunction, preposition, postposition, relative pronoun.