Epäspesifeihin

Epäspesifeihin is a Finnish grammatical form and a linguistic term describing the illative plural form of the adjective epäspesifi, meaning non-specific. The construction arises from the prefix epä- (negation) combined with spesifi (specific), producing a word that signals lack of specificity. In Finnish, adjectives decline to agree with the noun they modify, and epäspesifeihin appears when the target noun is plural and in the illative case, typically translated as “to non-specific [targets]” or “into non-specific [things].”

Usage and function

Epäspesifeihin is primarily encountered in linguistic descriptions, grammars, and formal writing that discusses general or non-specific references. It is less common in everyday speech, where speakers may opt for simpler phrasing such as epäspesifiä or restructure the sentence to avoid the illative plural form. The term helps distinguish references that are intentionally unspecified from those that are clearly identified or specific.

Examples

- Tutkimus kohdistuu epäspesifeihin kohteisiin. (The research targets non-specific targets.)

- Epäspesifeihin kohteisiin suunnattu markkinointiviestintä voi olla vaikeasti mitattavissa. (Marketing communication aimed at non-specific targets can be hard to measure.)

Relation to other terms

Epäspesifeihin is connected to epäspesifi (non-specific) and spesifi (specific). It forms part of Finnish descriptive grammar that categorizes how language encodes specificity and reference. The form is mainly a tool for precise linguistic description rather than a word used in routine conversation.