Antturi Kannisto was born to a farming family and at a young age became interested in the family of languages that Finnish belongs to. In 1893 he enrolled in the university to study Finnish language and literature under Emil Nestor Setälä and to research the Finno-Ugric language family under Arvid Genetzin. Kannisto had a long career in both areas.

While he was still a student, Kannisto published a study called Äänneopillinen tutkimus Urjalan, Kylmäkosken ja Akaan murteesta (‘Phonetic research on the dialects of Urajala, Kylmäkoski and Akaa’, 1897). Two years later he graduated with a bachelor’s degree. Kannisto continued his research on Finnish dialects, which contributed to his book Lauseopillisia havaintoja läntisen Etelä-Hämeen kielimurteesta (‘Syntactic observations on the western South-Häme dialect’). This book is considered a pioneering work on the syntax of Finnish dialects.

In 1900, Kannisto had his Master’s degree conferred on him and he was named amanuensis for the Finnish Language Seminar Library at the Imperial Alexander University. The following year, however, he went on a five-year research trip to western Siberia to study the folklore and language of the Mansi.

Upon returning from Siberia, Kannisto continued to work in the University. He was appointed Finnish language teacher at the Faculty of Jurisprudence in 1910. He occupied this position for almost twenty years. In addition to helping law students with their language, he continued his studies in the Faculty of Arts. He finished his Licentiate degree in 1919 with his dissertation Zur Geschichte des Vokalismus der ersten Silbe im Wogulischen vom qualitativen Standpunkt. (‘Vocalisation in the first syllabus in Vogul [Mansi] from a qualitative standpoint’)

Kannisto was granted a docentship in Finno-Ugrian Languages in 1922 and five years later he was awarded the professorship in the same subject. It was said his favourite topics for lectures were languages distantly related to Finnish.

Kannisto played an active role in scientific societies outside of his teaching and research. He was a member of the Finnish schools examination board from 1920 and the Central Scientific Board from 1929. He worked as the secretary for the Finno-Ugrian Society from 1919–1935, and after that as the society’s director up until the end of his life. Kannisto was instrumental in founding a journal which published Finno-Ugrian studies by Finnish researchers.

Kannisto developed neologisms for the Finnish language, for example, elokuva (‘film’,‘movie’). He also came up with the longest word in the Finnish language, which is however completely meaningless since it is just a combination of affixes:  

Kumarreksituteskenteleentuvaisehkollaismaisekkuudellisenneskenteluttelemattomammuuksissansakaankopahan

Sources (in Finnish):

• Ulla-Maija Kulonen, ‘Kannisto, Artturi (1874–1943)’. National Biography of Finland online. Accessed June 3, 2015. (Access via NELLI)
• Wikipedia ‘Artturi Kannisto’