Alkuperäisiksi

Alkuperäisiksi is a Finnish word that functions as the translative plural form of the adjective alkuperäinen, meaning original or authentic. The translative case in Finnish expresses a change of state or designation, roughly corresponding to “into” or “as” in English. Therefore, alkuperäisiksi means “into originals” or “as originals” when it is applied to a plural noun.

Morphology and usage: The base adjective is inflected to the translative plural by adding the suffix -iksi to the stem, with usual Finnish phonological adjustments. The singular counterpart is alkuperäiseksi, and the essive singular is alkuperäisenä. The plural form is commonly used in contexts where items are designated, transformed, or classified as originals.

Common contexts: Alkuperäisiksi appears frequently in formal, legal, archival, and regulatory language. It often occurs with verbs that denote designation or transformation, such as merkitä (to mark/designate) or toimittaa (to deliver). Examples include: Dokumentit on toimitettava alkuperäisiksi. Kuvat on merkitty alkuperäisiksi. These usages describe items being treated or recognized as originals.

Notes: In everyday Finnish, speakers may use the singular form alkuperäiseksi when referring to a single object (for example, alkuperäiseksi). The plural form alkuperäisiksi is tied to plural subjects or categories and is typical of formal or technical prose. The term is of particular interest to learners studying Finnish case forms and formal registers.