sanaisto

Sanaisto is a Finnish word that translates to "vocabulary" or "word stock" in English. It refers to the collection of words known and used by a person, group, or in a specific language. The term can encompass both the active vocabulary, which consists of words a person readily uses in speaking and writing, and the passive vocabulary, which includes words a person understands when encountered but might not actively use.

The size and richness of a sanaisto are often indicators of a person's linguistic proficiency or the complexity of a particular field of study or communication. Educational contexts frequently focus on expanding a student's sanaisto to improve comprehension and expression. Specialized fields, such as medicine, law, or technology, develop their own distinct sanasto, comprising technical terms and jargon specific to those domains.

In linguistic studies, sanaisto is a fundamental concept for analyzing language use and development. Researchers examine how sanasto changes over time, how it is acquired, and how it influences thought and communication. The concept also extends to the study of dictionaries and glossaries, which are organized collections of words and their meanings, essentially serving as reference points for a given sanaisto. The term is broadly applicable, from individual language learning to the collective vocabulary of an entire language community.