nounifikaatio

Nounifikaatio, or nominalization, is the linguistic process by which a word or phrase is turned into a noun or noun‑like form. This allows the item to function as the head of a noun phrase or as an argument of a verb or preposition.

Nominalizations arise through several mechanisms: morphological derivation with affixes (for example, turning a verb into a noun with a suffix such as -tion or -ment, or turning an adjective into a noun with -ness); conversion, where a word is used as a noun without any change in form; and nominalizing clauses, where an entire clause is treated as a noun phrase (for instance, a that-clause or a gerund-like construction serving as a noun).

Examples include "decision" from the verb "decide," "happiness" from the adjective "happy," and "the running" (the activity of running) or even "the rich" referring to rich people. Nominalizations can also arise from clauses, such as "That he arrived surprised me," where the clause functions as a noun phrase within the sentence.

Usage and features: Nominalizations typically denote events, processes, states, or abstract concepts rather than concrete objects. They can be countable or mass, and they may take determiners, numerals, and modifiers. In many languages, nominalizations influence syntax by acting as subjects, objects, or complements and by changing how verbs assign arguments. Some languages rely heavily on affixal nominalization, while others use word order or mood and case markings to signal nominalized forms.

Cross-linguistic note: Nominalization is widespread and typologically diverse. In Finnish linguistics, the term nounifikaatio is used to describe the broad set of methods for turning non-nouns into nouns. Related concepts include nominalization, deverbal nouns, and gerunds.