tarkoittaman

Tarkoittaman is a Finnish attributive participial form derived from the verb tarkoittaa, meaning “to mean” or “to intend.” The participial adjective conveys the sense of something that is intended or meant. In usage, tarkoittaman appears before a noun and is declined to match the case and number of that noun, most commonly in the genitive singular when describing a noun in genitive.

The form is typically found in formal or written Finnish, including legal, policy, or academic texts, where a distinction between what is meant and what is actual or stated is important. It functions much like a relative participle, providing a descriptor that specifies the intended nature of the noun it modifies.

Morphology and usage notes:

- The base participle is tarkoittama; adding the genitive singular ending yields tarkoittaman, used when the noun it describes is in genitive. Examples include tarkoittaman asian ratkaiseminen (the solving of the intended matter) or tarkoittaman suunnitelman toteuttaminen (the implementation of the intended plan).

- The sense overlap with other Finnish expressions is common, but tarkoittaman emphasizes intention or meaning that is specific to the speaker’s or writer’s aim. For contrast, the more everyday tarkoitettu or tarkoitetun may be used to express more general intent or designation.

See also: tarkoitus (purpose), tarkoittaa (to mean/to intend), tarkoitettu (intended).

Overall, tarkoittaman is a grammatical tool in Finnish for signaling that a noun’s meaning or purpose is the one that is intended, and it is most frequently encountered in formal prose.