sanastoa

Sanastoa is a Finnish noun form used to refer to vocabulary, a lexicon, or a glossary. In common use, sanasto denotes the set of words used in a language, in a specific domain, or by a learner. The form sanastoa is the partitive singular, often used when speaking of “some vocabulary” or “a set of words” in Finnish sentences.

Etymology and scope: The word is formed from sana, meaning “word,” with the suffix -sto, which conveys a collection or repository. The concept is central to language learning, lexicography, and language pedagogy, where it describes the organized body of lexical items rather than a complete dictionary.

Usage and context: In education, learners construct a sanasto to support reading, listening, and speaking. These lists are typically thematic (for example, travel or food) or frequency-based (high-use words). In linguistics and lexicography, sanasto can refer to the lexical inventory of a language or a particular domain, though it is distinct from a sanakirja (dictionary), which provides definitions, translations, and grammatical information in addition to word lists.

Relation to related terms: Sanasto is built from sana (word) and the -sto suffix for a collection, contrasting with sanakirja, which is a full reference work. In everyday use, speakers may talk about their personal sanasto or about a broader linguistic sanasto representing a language’s vocabulary. The concept emphasizes the items themselves and their practical use in communication.