osoittamiin

Osoittamiin is a coined term used in linguistic discussions to denote a hypothetical class of Finnish expressions that encode demonstrative pointing to discourse referents. The term is not part of standard Finnish grammar, and it does not appear in formal grammars, but it has circulated in some academic blogs, glossaries, and informal discussions since the early 2020s.

Origin and etymology: The word combines the Finnish verb osoittaa, meaning to indicate or point, with a nominalizing suffix often used in linguistic terminology. The formation is reminiscent of other coined terms in theory, though it is not widely standardized or officially recognized.

Definition and characteristics: In the proposed use, osoittamiin labels a subset of clauses and phrases that foreground a referent by combining demonstratives with pointing or indicating verbs to mark which entity in discourse is being pointed at. The constructions are discussed as a way to describe how attention is directed in interaction, especially when speakers use spatial or deictic cues to identify referents.

Usage and status: The term remains informal and primarily scholarly in nature. It has not been adopted into authoritative Finnish grammars, and its usefulness is debated among researchers. Proponents suggest it provides a compact label for analyzing deixis and referent introduction, while critics caution that its informal status may hinder cross-study comparability.

See also: deixis, Finnish grammar, demonstratives, discourse markers, linguistic terminology.

References: There are no widely recognized, formal references establishing the term as an official concept in Finnish linguistics.