Elävien

Elävien is a Finnish word that functions as the genitive plural form of the adjective elävä, meaning living. In usage, elävien typically translates as “of the living” or serves as a noun phrase meaning “the living,” referring to living beings as a group or to things related to them. The form is common in more formal, religious, or literary contexts.

Grammatically, elävien is derived from elävä and takes the genitive plural ending, which marks possession or relation in phrases involving multiple living beings. Because it is the genitive plural of an adjective used as a noun, it can appear both as a modifier in front of a noun and as a stand-alone noun phrase in contexts such as lists or contrasts with other groups.

Usage and context vary. In religious or ceremonial language, you may encounter phrases like elävien ja kuolleiden to distinguish the living from the dead. In everyday Finnish, speakers more often refer to living people with phrases such as elossa olevat or ihmiset, depending on formality and clarity. Elävien thus holds a formal tone and is often found in written language, glossaries, or textual traditions that emphasize categories of beings.

See also: Finnish language, elävä, genitive plural in Finnish grammar.