pääkieli
Pääkieli is a term used in Finnish discourse to denote the main language employed in a given context—such as a country, a region, an organization, or an individual’s daily life. The exact meaning is not fixed by linguistics alone and can vary with the situation. In practice, pääkieli is often contrasted with äidinkieli (the language a person learned first in childhood) and with toisen tai kolmannen kielen, the additional languages a person uses.
In demographic and educational contexts, pääkieli typically refers to the language most used for communication, instruction,
The concept is descriptive rather than prescriptive, and it can reflect everyday language use, language of
See also: official language, mother tongue (äidinkieli), second language (toinen kieli), language demographics.