seminaarin

Seminaari is a formal educational or scholarly gathering where speakers present papers or findings and participants engage in discussion. In Finnish, seminaari is a common term for such events, and seminaarin is the genitive singular form used to indicate possession or relation, for example in phrases like seminaarin ohjelma (the program of the seminar) or seminaarin osallistujat (the participants of the seminar).

The word seminaari is borrowed into Finnish from European languages, ultimately tracing back to Latin seminarium, meaning seedbed or nursery. The metaphor reflects the idea of a place where ideas are sown and cultivated. In Finnish usage, seminar-related terms can be extended with modern variants such as webinaari for online events or tutkijaseminaari for research seminars.

Usage of seminaarin occurs in ordinary sentences to link the seminar to a feature or group associated with it. For instance, seminaarin järjestäjä refers to the organizer of the seminar, and seminaarin osallistujat to its attendees. The form is productive in both formal and informal contexts, and it commonly appears in academic calendars, program descriptions, and organizational announcements.

Seminaari contexts span academic, professional, and public discourse. While similar to conferences or symposiums, a seminaari is often more narrowly focused on presentation and discussion of specific topics, sometimes with a shorter duration. The term remains flexible enough to cover single events as well as recurring series.

See also: konferenssi, symposium, webinaari, työpaja.