tähistaja

Tähistaja is a Finnish noun meaning “a person or thing that marks stars.” The term is uncommon in contemporary Finnish and is mainly found in descriptive, historical, or lexicographic contexts rather than in everyday language. It can refer to someone who identifies and labels stars on a celestial map or in a star catalog, as well as to a device or software that performs a similar marking task in astronomical imagery or navigation.

Etymology and usage notes: the word is formed from the noun tähti (star) with the agentive suffix -jä, which denotes the doer of an action. In practice, tähistaja may describe a person who marks star positions for mapping or navigational purposes, or an instrument or program designed to mark stars in data sets. The usage is largely technical or descriptive and not part of common speech.

In modern Finnish, the term is rarely employed and is generally substituted with more precise expressions tied to specific tasks, such as star identification in star catalogs, celestial mapping, or image annotation. When used, it tends to appear in specialized or academic writing, historical discussions of navigation, or in poetic or metaphorical senses to convey the idea of highlighting or distinguishing stars.

See also: tähdistö, tähtikartta, kartoitus, navigaatio.