manominalisoinnista

Manominalisoinnista is a term used in some Finnish linguistic discussions to describe a specific type of nominalization that centers on manual actions. In this framework, verbs that denote actions performed with the hands are transformed into nouns that foreground the hand-centered aspect of the activity, rather than the action alone. The concept is typically discussed in the context of morphological typology and the study of how languages encode instrumental or agentive information.

Etymology and scope. The term combines a hand-related prefix, drawn from the Latin manus root, with nominalization terminology found in Finnish (nominalisointi) and the ablative form manominalisoinnista, used to indicate a focus on or source of the process. It is not a mainstream category in all grammars, but rather a descriptive label used by researchers to discuss potential patterns in how manual actions can be packaged as nominal forms. The concept is largely theoretical and appears primarily in academic discussions rather than in standard grammar descriptions.

Mechanism and typology. In manominalisoinnista analyses, the nominal form often encodes both the action and its manual execution, sometimes yielding nouns that function as agents, instruments, or processes associated with the hand. Typical realizations involve derivational pathways such as compound constructions or affix-based nominalization that emphasize hand-related means. This can contrast with general nominalization that abstracts away from the instrument or method.

Examples and discussion. Common illustrations involve English or Finnish glosses where hand-related actions are converted into noun phrases: hand-stitching, hand-buttoning, or similar formations that highlight manual execution. The approach helps illuminate how languages may encode instrumental specificity within nominal forms, though the category remains debated and is not universally adopted in descriptive grammars.

See also: nominalization, morphology, Finnish linguistics, instrumental construction.