piilokantajuus

Piilokantajuus is a term used in linguistics to describe a phenomenon in which a base consonant (kantajuus) that forms the stem of a word is not overtly pronounced in certain inflected forms, while its presence nevertheless conditions the phonology of related forms. In practical terms, the underlying stem consonant may be hidden in surface pronunciation, yet continue to influence vowel length, assimilation, or other consonantal patterns elsewhere in the word system.

Etymology and usage: The word combines piilo, meaning hidden, with kantajuus, roughly “stem-ness” or “stemhood” in Finnish. The term is not part of a standardized taxonomy in Finnish phonology and appears mostly in limited discussions, teaching materials, or as a descriptive label for related morphophonological patterns. In most scholarly work, researchers instead describe the underlying processes using broader categories such as elision, consonant mutation, or stem alternation.

Mechanisms: Piilokantajuus is typically discussed as a distinction between an underlying representation and a surface realization. The consonant remains latent in certain environments, yet governs interactions such as vowel quality, length, or the behavior of adjacent segments. The phenomenon is often treated as related to, but distinct from, explicit consonant loss or predictable mutation.

Example (abstract): Consider a language with an underlying stem C1-C2. In a particular inflected form, C2 is not pronounced, yielding a surface form C1 with a modifying effect on the adjacent vowel. In another context, C2 may reappear or alter phonology in conjunction with the affix.

See also: consonant elision; morphophonology; stem alternation.