puheääneksi

Puheääneksi is a Finnish noun-form used in linguistic and descriptive contexts. It is the translative form of the compound noun puheääni, which can be understood as “speech voice” or “voice used in speaking.” The translative suffix -ksi expresses a change of state or a role, roughly translating to “as a …” or “into a …” in English. Thus puheääneksi literally means “as a speaking voice” or “into a speaking voice.”

Formation and morphology: The base is puheääni (puhe- + ääni). The suffix -ksi attaches to the stem, producing puheääneksi. In Finnish, translative forms mark a transformation, role, or function relative to speech, among other uses. Puheääneksi follows the typical pattern of other translative formations with compound bases.

Usage: Puheääneksi is primarily found in scholarly or analytical texts that discuss voice quality, speech modes, or prosody, where a voice is described or categorized as a speaking voice rather than singing, shouting, or other modalities. It is less common in everyday language, where more concrete phrasing would be used.

Related terms: Puheääni is the base noun. The translative -ksi is a productive suffix for indicating conversion to or labeling as a particular state or role, as seen in other forms like laulajaksi (as a singer) or oppilaaksi (as a pupil).

See also: Finnish grammar, translative case, compound nouns in Finnish, Kielitoimiston sanakirja.