tekstiurit

Tekstiurit is a term used in the study of online discourse to describe ritualized, formulaic patterns of text-based communication in Finnish-speaking digital communities. The concept refers to the typical sequence of moves that recurring messages use to signal politeness, establish group norms, and facilitate clear coordination among participants.

The word tekstiurit combines teksti (text) with a suffix -uri, used in some coinages to denote an agent or producer. The plural form is tekstiurit. The term is not widely standardized and appears mainly in niche academic articles and long-running online discussions from the 2010s onward; usage varies across communities.

Tekstiurit are characterized by recurring openings and closings, explicit statements of purpose, hedges, and expressions of thanks or apologies. They rely on discourse markers, conventional salutations, and platform-specific conventions, with punctuation and emotive cues reinforcing the ritual tone.

Functions include signaling politeness and face-work, indicating belonging to a community, smoothing requests and disagreements, and supporting coordination in asynchronous communication.

Example: a typical Finnish tekstiuri might begin with "Hei kaikille," state the request succinctly, include a hedge like "jos teille sopii," and close with "kiitos etukäteen." Such patterns are of interest to researchers studying how language structures social interaction in digital spaces and how norms are maintained across platforms.

See also: Politeness theory; discourse markers; formulaic language; online communities; computer-mediated communication.