sanahakemisto

Sanahakemisto is a Finnish term that refers to a word index or directory used in dictionaries, glossaries, and linguistic resources. It is designed to help users locate words and obtain information associated with them, such as lemmas, inflectional forms, part of speech, definitions, usage examples, synonyms and antonyms, pronunciation guides, and cross-references. A sanahakemisto emphasizes efficient lookup and typically organizes entries alphabetically or by lemma, sometimes enabling search by root, affixes, or morphological features.

In traditional lexicography, sanahakemisto is often a component of a dictionary or a stand-alone reference that complements entries, while in modern digital resources it is implemented as a searchable database or index. Digital sanahakemistot may support advanced search features such as morphological analysis and linking to related entries.

Sanahakemisto can refer to both monolingual Finnish word indices and bilingual or multilingual word indices, used for language learning, translation, and natural language processing. The concept is commonly encountered in Finnish dictionaries and language tools, where it functions as a practical aid for locating word forms, meanings, and usage relationships.

Historically, sanahakemisto has appeared in print as back-of-dictionary indexes that help users find words by spelling variants, proper nouns, or common collocations. In contemporary usage, the term is found in discussions of lexicographic software, corpus tools, and language apps, where it denotes the searchable structure that underpins word lookup and navigation.