Finnish language

Finnish language (suomi or suomen kieli) is a Uralic language primarily spoken in Finland and by the Finnish minority in Sweden. It is one of the two official languages of Finland, alongside Swedish, and is also an official minority language in Sweden. Unlike most other languages in Europe, Finnish is not an Indo-European language, sharing more similarities with the Hungarian and Estonian languages, which are also part of the Uralic language family.

History

The history of the Finnish language begins with the arrival of the Proto-Finnic people in what is now Finland, around 2000 BCE. The language has evolved significantly from its Proto-Uralic roots, influenced by a variety of languages, including Old Norse, due to historical contacts with the Vikings, and later, Swedish, during the period of Swedish rule. The development of a standard written form of Finnish was largely the work of Mikael Agricola in the 16th century, who created the first Finnish writing system based on the Latin alphabet and significantly influenced by German and Swedish orthographies.

Classification and Dialects

Finnish belongs to the Finnic group of the Uralic language family. It is closely related to Estonian, but the two languages are not mutually intelligible. Finnish dialects are traditionally divided into two main groups: the Western dialects and the Eastern dialects. The standard language, kirjakieli (literary language), is based on the dialects of the southwest part of the country, including the capital, Helsinki.

Phonology

Finnish phonology is characterized by its vowel harmony and the extensive use of consonant gradation. Vowel harmony means that most words cannot contain both front vowels and back vowels. Consonant gradation is a type of consonant mutation, affecting k, p, and t sounds, which is important for the formation of grammatical forms.

Grammar

Finnish grammar is notable for its lack of gender, including personal pronouns, and for its extensive use of cases. Finnish has 15 noun cases, which serve the functions that in English are served by prepositions. The language uses suffixes extensively to indicate tense, mood, and voice for verbs, as well as number and case for nouns.

Vocabulary

The Finnish vocabulary has been influenced by many languages. While its core vocabulary is Uralic, there are numerous borrowings from Swedish, German, Russian, and more recently, English. However, Finnish often prefers to create new words from existing Finnish roots rather than borrowing.

Writing System

The Finnish writing system uses the Latin alphabet, with the addition of the letters ä and ö. The orthography is almost entirely phonemic, meaning that there is a close correspondence between letters and sounds.

Cultural Significance

The Finnish language is an integral part of Finnish identity and culture. It has a rich literary tradition, with the national epic, Kalevala, playing a key role in the development of a national consciousness and the push for independence from Russia in the early 20th century.

See Also

• Sami languages
• Finno-Ugric languages
• Language policy in Finland