Elimenä

Elimenä is a Finnish word that means “as an organ.” It is the essive-case form of the noun elin, which translates to organ or body part. The essive case in Finnish expresses a temporary state or the role someone or something plays, so elimenä is used to indicate that something is being considered or described in the capacity of an organ.

In practice, elimenä appears in anatomical, physiological, or technical writing to convey functions within a system. It can also be used in metaphorical or descriptive contexts to describe how a component of a larger structure serves a particular purpose.

Grammatically, elin is the base noun, and elimenä is formed by adding the essive suffix -nä, yielding the sense “as an organ.” This form is typically used with singular reference to a single organ in a given context.

Examples of usage are common in scientific or descriptive Finnish. For instance, one might encounter a sentence such as: Sydän toimii elimenä kehossa. (The heart functions as an organ in the body.)

See also: Finnish grammar, essive case, elin (organ), elimet (organs).