Eiuskonnollisiin

Eiuskonnollisiin is a Finnish grammatical form that functions primarily as the illative plural of the adjective eiuskonnollinen (non-religious). In Finnish, illative forms indicate direction or destination, so eiuskonnollisiin is used when referring to “to the non-religious” or “into the non-religious,” typically in constructions where the adjective modifies a plural noun in the illative case (for example, eiuskonnollisiin ryhmiin, into non-religious groups).

Etymology and meaning: eiuskonnollinen is formed from the negative prefix ei- attached to uskonnollinen (religious). The resulting term denotes lack of religious affiliation or identification. The form eiuskonnollinen exists as the base adjective, while eiuskonnollisiin is its illative plural ending. Finnish adjectives decline to agree with the noun they modify in number and case, so eiuskonnollinen can appear as eiuskonnolliset (nominative plural) or eiuskonnollisiin (illative plural), among other forms.

Usage: The term is most common in sociological, demographic, or policy discussions that categorize people by religious affiliation. It can appear with a following noun, as in eiuskonnollisiin henkilöihin (to non-religious individuals) or eiuskonnollisiin ryhmiin (into non-religious groups). In everyday language, writers may opt for two-word constructions such as ei uskonnollisiin, or hyphenated forms like ei-uskonnollinen, depending on style guidelines.

See also: uskonnollinen (religious); ei uskonnollinen (non-religious); Finnish grammatical forms of illative plural for adjectives.

Notes: While technically correct as a grammatical form, eiuskonnollisiin is a specialized term whose use is more common in formal or analytical Finnish than in casual speech.