täsmentävää

Täsmentävä is a Finnish adjective that appears in informal, regional, or dialectal contexts to describe something that must be specified or clarified. The form is generally regarded as a contracted or non-standard variant of täsmennettävä or täsmmentävä, built from the verb täsmentää (to specify, to make precise) with a participial suffix. Because it is not part of standard Finnish dictionaries, its use is limited and mainly found in notes, casual writing, or specialized jargon rather than in formal prose.

Etymology and formation

The word is commonly thought to originate from the root täsm- meaning to be exact or precise, combined with a participial suffix. In standard Finnish, the corresponding form would be täsmennettävä or täsmmentävä, meaning “to be specified” or “that must be specified.” Täsmentävä represents a colloquial or dialectal spelling where sound assimilation and vowel changes have produced the shorter shape.

Usage and meaning

In practice, täsmentävä describes data, requirements, or statements that require further specification. It is often used in phrases such as täsmentävä tieto (information to be specified) or täsmentävät kriteerit (criteria that must be specified). The term signals that a particular element is not yet defined and depends on additional detail.

Grammatical notes

The word behaves like other Finnish adjectives and agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case, e.g., täsmentävä tieto (singular) vs. täsmentävät tiedot (plural). In formal writing, standard forms such as täsmennettävä are usually preferred.

Status

Täsmentävä is not a widely accepted standard term. For formal or academic work, it is advisable to use täsmennettävä or to rephrase with explicit specification requirements. See also täsmällinen and täsmennettävä for related concepts.