mallapäätteestä

Mallapäätteestä is a term used in Finnish linguistics to refer to the suffix that is treated as a model or template in describing inflectional paradigms. The concept appears in scholarly discussions of how Finnish word forms are built from stems plus suffixes, and how a single model suffix can illustrate the regular pattern underlying a family of related forms. In this context, mallapäätteestä functions as a reference point for comparing different suffixes that attach to the same or similar stems.

In practice, the idea is to use a representative or prototypical suffix to organize and present morphological data. By examining how this model suffix combines with various stems to express different grammatical categories—such as number, case, or mood—linguists can highlight regularities, allomorphy, and potential deviations within a paradigm. The approach supports instructional descriptions, typological comparisons, and the analysis of historical changes in suffixation.

Mallapäätteestä is primarily relevant in academic and educational settings. It is not a term used in everyday Finnish prose, but it appears in grammars, articles on morphology, and discussions of Finnish word formation. Related concepts include päätteet (suffixes), vartalo- and stem-based analyses, and the study of inflectional paradigms in Finnish. The term helps researchers convey the idea of a central model suffix that anchors the systematic pattern of suffixation across related forms.