Eieläviin

Eieläviin is a Finnish neologism sometimes used in linguistic, educational, or philosophical texts to refer to non-living or inanimate things. The term is formed from ei- meaning "not" and eläviin, related to eläviä meaning "living," and it is employed to contrast non-living entities with living beings. It is not a standard everyday term in Finnish, but appears in specialized discussions about ontological categories.

In practice, eieläviin is used to discuss what constitutes life and to classify objects, phenomena, or agents that do not meet typical criteria for life, such as rocks, water, air, and manufactured objects like tools or vehicles. It can appear in science education to reinforce the distinction between living organisms and non-living matter, and in philosophy of biology to frame debates about life criteria and agency.

Usage typically follows a binary framework: eläviin (living beings) versus eieläviin (non-living things). Some writers prefer standard Finnish terms such as ei-elollinen or eloton outside specialized contexts. When used, eieläviin is often accompanied by definitions of life and by concrete examples, sometimes with discussions of criteria like growth, metabolism, reproduction, and response to stimuli.

Related concepts include elollinen (living), ei-elollinen or eloton (inanimate/not living), and the broader biology and ontology discussions about life, matter, and the boundaries between living and non-living phenomena.