muunnelma

Muunnelma is a Finnish noun meaning a variation, modification, or adaptation of an original form. The word derives from the verb muunnella ("to alter, to modify") with the nominalizing suffix -lma, and its plural is muunnelmat. In everyday Finnish it denotes any altered version of a thing, such as a modified recipe, an adapted plan, or an alternative design.

In music, muunnelma commonly refers to a variation on a theme: a piece or passage that preserves recognizable elements of an original melody or harmonic pattern while changing other parameters such as rhythm, harmony, texture, or ornamentation. The term is used across genres, from classical theme-and-variation forms to folk and popular music practices where performers create personal renditions of a tune.

Beyond music, muunnelma appears in literary and theatrical contexts to describe adaptations, retellings, or reinterpretations of a work. It also functions in technical and scientific language when discussing variant models, modified procedures, or alternative implementations.

Muunnelma overlaps in meaning with the Finnish words variaatio and muunnos, though usage can vary by context: variaatio often appears in formal musical terminology, while muunnelma emphasizes the act or result of modifying. The term illustrates a general concept of transformation common to artistic, technical, and everyday practice.