päätenimen

Päätenimen is a Finnish term that literally translates to "domain name." In the context of the internet, a päätenimen refers to a human-readable address used to identify websites or other resources on the internet, such as example.com or google.com. These names are easier to remember than the numerical IP addresses that computers use to locate each other.

The system of päätenimien is managed by a hierarchical structure. At the top are the top-level domains (TLDs), such as .com, .org, .net, or country-code TLDs like .fi for Finland. Below these are second-level domains, which are the unique names registered by individuals or organizations. For instance, in example.com, "example" is the second-level domain and ".com" is the TLD.

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the global system that translates these päätenimien into IP addresses. When a user types a päätenimen into their web browser, their computer queries DNS servers to find the corresponding IP address, which then allows the browser to connect to the correct server and load the website. Registration of päätenimien is typically handled by accredited domain registrars.