Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Description of research and teaching
Overview
I am professor of quantitative and comparative linguistics at the University of Helsinki. My research concerns primarily large-scale comparative research of the world's languages but also corpus linguistics and comparative sociolinguistics. I have researched, for instance, case marking, word order, grammatical gender, linguistic complexity, language and religion, and methodology in typology. I teach widely on general linguistic topics, ranging from language typology and language evolution to sociolinguistics, language contact, and statistics in linguistics. I supervise master's theses and PhD dissertations mostly related to my research interests and expertise but also more widely.
In 2019-2024 I directed the ERC Starting Grant project "Linguistic Adaptation". See more information about the project by clicking the link.
Since 2025 I have directed the strategic profiling action Diversity in Society and Life (DIVSOL), funded by the Research Council of Finland and coordinated by the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki.
Research
- Language typology and universals
- Core argument marking
- Statistical methods in typology
- Language complexity
- Adaptation of language structures
- Sociolinguistic typology
- Language and religion
Courses taught
- Articulatory phonetics
- Evolution of speech and language
- Introduction to general linguistics
- Introduction to language typology
- Introduction to syntax
- History of linguistics and current fields of research
- Language Contact
- Linguistic meaning, usage and context
- Phonology and morphology
- Quantitative typology
- Quantitative methods in linguistics
- Research methods in linguistics
- Sociolinguistics
- Statistical modeling in linguistics
Fields of Science
- 6121 Languages
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Replication, robustness and the angst of false positives: a timely target article and its multifaceted comments
Dediu, D., Koptjevskaja-Tamm, M. & Sinnemaki, K., 30 Jul 2025, In: Linguistic Typology. 4 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › Scientific
Open AccessFile -
Sacred language
Sinnemäki, K. & Saarikivi, J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) International Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics. Nesi, H. & Milin, P. (eds.). Third ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier, (Reference Collection in Social Sciences).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia / dictionary › Scientific
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Sampling matters: Commentary on “Replication and methodological robustness in quantitative typology” by Becker and Guzmán Naranjo
Miestamo, M. & Sinnemäki, K., 27 Oct 2025, In: Linguistic Typology. 29, 3, p. 539-547 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Towards greater social anchoring in language typology
Di Garbo, F., Sinnemäki, K. & Kashima, E., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Linguistic Typology at the Crossroads.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
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A typological approach to language change in contact situations
Sinnemäki, K., Di Garbo, F., Napoleão de Souza, R. & Ellison, T. M., 25 Jun 2024, In: Diachronica. 35 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile
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Yliopiston profilointi 8 - DIVSOL - Humt
Airavaara, M. (Project manager), Eronen, J. T. (Project manager), Hietakangas, V. (Project manager), Huiskonen, J. (Project manager), Kaartinen, T. (Project manager), Kangasharju, J. (Project manager), Kouvonen, P. J. (Project manager), Martikainen, P. (Project manager), Mäkelä, J. (Project manager), Niemi, M. (Project manager), Ojanen, T. (Project manager), Pönkä, V. (Project manager), Ripatti, S. (Project manager), Räsänen, A. (Project manager), Simojoki, H. (Project manager), Sinnemäki, K. (Project manager), Suomalainen Wartiovaara, A. (Project manager), Toivonen, R. (Project manager), Toom, A. (Project manager), Björkroth, J. (Participant), Bärlund, J. C. (Participant), Enkavi, G. (Participant), Floréen, P. (Participant), Fogelholm, M. (Participant), Grönlund, H. (Participant), Heinonen, M. (Participant), Holmström, A.-R. (Participant), Hämäläinen, K. K. (Participant), Jahnukainen, M. (Participant), Jeltsch, M. (Participant), Juhola, S. (Participant), Kakouros, S. (Participant), Keskinen, S. (Participant), Khan, S. H. (Participant), Klami, A. (Participant), Korhonen, K. (Participant), Kuosmanen, S. (Participant), Laaksonen, T. (Participant), Leino, T. (Participant), Lindh, I. (Participant), Luukkonen, J. (Participant), McWilliams, T. (Participant), Norio, J. (Participant), Nur, N. H. M. (Participant), Näre, L. (Participant), Paavilainen, V. (Participant), Pajari, A.-M. (Participant), Pessi, A. B. (Participant), Pitkänen, E. (Participant), Rantamäki, T. (Participant), Repo, H. D. (Participant), Rubinacci, S. (Participant), STRATOULIAS, V. (Participant), Sandell, M. (Participant), Strachan, C. (Participant), Uimari, P. (Participant), Vattulainen, I. T. (Participant), Wohlström, T. (Participant), Wrede, S. (Participant) & Öörni, K. (Participant)
Academy of Finland, Suomen Akatemia Projektilaskutus, Suomen Akatemia Talous/Paula Pesola
01/01/2025 → 31/12/2030
Project: Research Council of Finland: Strengthening university research profiles (PROFI)
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Kielitieteen metodipankki
Posio, P. (Project manager), Sinnemäki, K. (Participant), Tánczos, O. (Participant), Huhtamäki, M. (Participant), Säily, T. (Participant), Määttä, S. K. (Participant), Sippola, E. (Participant) & Tanskanen, S.-K. (Project manager)
28/02/2020 → 31/01/2021
Project: Other project
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Linguistic Adaptation: Typological and Sociolinguistic Perspectives to Language Variation
Sinnemäki, K. (Project manager), Ahola, N. (Participant), Di Garbo, F. (Participant), Haakana, V. (Participant), Hyvönen, A. P. (Participant), Kapellis, P. (Participant), Kashima, E. (Participant), Manninen, L. J. (Participant), Miyabe, S. E. (Participant), Napoleão de Souza, R. (Participant), Porkka, J. A. O. (Participant), Ahola, N. (Participant), Di Garbo, F. (Participant), Haakana, V. (Participant), Kashima, E. (Participant), Loisa, J. S. (Participant), Manninen, L. J. (Participant), Miyabe, S. E. (Participant), Napoleão de Souza, R. (Participant), Porkka, J. A. O. (Participant) & Raatikainen, O. A. K. (Participant)
01/01/2019 → 30/06/2024
Project: The European Research Council: Starting Grant (ERC-STG)
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Protestant Roots of Finnish National Identities
Sinnemäki, K. (Principal Investigator), Portman, A. (Principal Investigator), Nelson, R. (Principal Investigator), Karlsson, F. (Participant), Pirttilä-Backman, A.-M. (Participant), Sumiala, J. (Participant), Knuutila, J. (Participant), Laine, E. (Participant), Laine, T. (Participant), Saarinen, R. (Participant), Pessi, A. B. (Participant), Lauha, A. (Participant), Stenius, H. (Participant), Meinander, H. (Participant), Pihlström, S. (Participant), Helkama, K. (Participant), Hakkarainen, M. (Participant), Slotte, P. (Participant), Ahlholm, M. (Participant), Kivistö, S. (Participant), Räsänen, A. (Participant), Saarikivi, J. (Participant), Tolonen, M. (Participant), Kantola, A. (Participant), Martikainen, P. (Participant), Hurri, S. (Participant), Finell, E. (Participant), Mangeloja, E. (Participant), Tilli, J. (Participant), Markkola, P. (Participant), Ketola, K. (Participant), Rentto, J.-P. (Participant), Partti, H. (Participant), Huhta, I. (Participant), Niemi, H. (Participant), Kuningas, J. (Participant), Huttunen, N. (Participant), Ahonen, P. (Participant) & Ihalainen, P. (Participant)
19/08/2014 → 31/12/2019
Project: Research project
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Linguistic Diversity: Historical, Functional and Typological Approaches (LDHFTA)
Fleisch, A. (Principal Investigator), Aunio, L. (Principal Investigator), Killian, D. (Participant), Janhunen, J. (Principal Investigator), Tikkanen, B. (Principal Investigator), Parpola, A. (Principal Investigator), Rybatzki, V. (Principal Investigator), Kittilä, S. (Principal Investigator), Gruzdeva, E. (Participant), Karlsson, F. (Principal Investigator), Miestamo, M. (Principal Investigator), Sinnemäki, K. (Participant), Marttila, A. (Participant), Vilkki, L. (Participant), Wilde, C. P. (Participant), Kuningas, J. (Participant), Rueter, J. (Participant), Berghäll, L. (Participant), Saarikivi, J. (Principal Investigator), Salminen, T. (Principal Investigator), Hamari, A. (Participant), Grünthal, R. (Principal Investigator), Ajanki, R. (Participant), Kallio, P. (Participant), Aikio, A. (Participant), Junttila, S. (Participant), Metslang, H. (Participant), Idström, A. (Participant), Ylikoski, J. (Participant), Kuzmin, D. (Participant), Forsberg, U.-M. (Principal Investigator), Häkkinen, J. (Participant), Kovács, M. (Principal Investigator), Salo, M. (Participant), Lehtinen, T. (Principal Investigator), Sosa, S. (Participant), Ahlqvist, A. (Participant), Pasanen, A. (Participant), Lindstedt, J. (Principal Investigator), Nuorluoto, J. (Participant), Vaahtera, J. (Participant), Jozic, Z. (Participant), Virkkula, J. (Participant), Wahlström, M. (Participant), Peltomaa, M. (Participant) & Sandman, E. (Participant)
01/03/2011 → 01/03/2011
Project: Research Evaluation 2011
Datasets
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Dataset for Number agreement and dependency length in Finnish dialects
Sinnemäki, K. (Creator) & Takaki, A. (Creator), Zenodo, 2021
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5767239, https://version.helsinki.fi/gramadapt/depling2021-number-agreement
Dataset
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Dataset for Variation in number agreement in Finnish dialects
Sinnemäki, K. (Creator) & Haakana, V. L. J. (Creator), Zenodo, 1 Jul 2021
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5055224, https://version.helsinki.fi/gramadapt/verbinlukukongruenssi2021
Dataset
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Dataset for a typological study of adpossessive constructions
Sinnemäki, K. (Creator) & Haakana, V. L. J. (Creator), Zenodo, 2 Jul 2021
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5055634, https://version.helsinki.fi/gramadapt/udw2020-adpossessive-constructions
Dataset
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Supplementary data for the article Linguistic system and sociolinguistic environment as competing factors in linguistic variation: A typological approach
Sinnemäki, K. (Creator) & Ahola, N. L. H. (Contributor), Zenodo, 25 Aug 2021
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5253698, https://version.helsinki.fi/gramadapt/linguistic-system-and-sociolinguistic-environment
Dataset
Prizes
Activities
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Corpus Linguistics and Linguistic Theory (Journal)
Sinnemäki, K. (Reviewer)
2025Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Peer review of manuscripts
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Preliminary examination of a PhD thesis
Sinnemäki, K. (Pre-examiner)
2025Activity: Examination types › Pre-examiner of doctoral thesis
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Examiner and opponent of a habilitation thesis
Sinnemäki, K. (Opponent)
19 Jun 2025Activity: Examination types › Opponent of doctoral dissertation
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English Language and Linguistics (Journal)
Sinnemäki, K. (Reviewer)
2025Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Peer review of manuscripts
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Linguistic Typology (Journal)
Sinnemäki, K. (Reviewer)
2025Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Peer review of manuscripts
Press/Media
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Monikielisyys vaikuttaa äidinkieleesi
Sinnemäki, K. & Jantunen, T.
03/11/2023
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Kielen rakenne muuttuu nopeasti, kun tarpeeksi suuri osa käyttäjistä ei puhu sitä äidinkielenään
07/12/2018
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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The structure of a language changes quickly when a large enough share of its users are not native speakers
07/12/2018
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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