Esimerkillä

Esimerkillä is a Finnish expression referring to the adessive form of the word esimerkki, meaning an example. The phrase is used to indicate that something is illustrated or demonstrated by means of an example, rather than by general argument alone.

Etymology and form: The base noun esimerkki means example. The adessive suffix -llä/-llä attaches to form esimerkillä, which translates roughly as “with an example” or “by example.” In Finnish grammar, the adessive expresses means or method, so esimerkillä introduces how an idea is shown or explained in a concrete instance.

Usage and nuance: Esimerkillä is common in written and spoken Finnish, particularly in educational, explanatory, and rhetorical contexts. It signals that the subsequent point is grounded in a specific illustration. Examples include: “Esimerkillä havainnollistetaan, miten järjestelmä toimii” (With an example, we illustrate how the system operates) and “Esimerkillä osoitimme, miksi tätä lähestymistapaa kannattaa käyttää.” The phrase remains neutral and does not carry evaluative judgment by itself; the surrounding context determines interpretation.

Relation to other expressions: Esimerkillä is often used interchangeably with phrases like “esimerkin avulla” (with the help of an example) or “käyttämällä esimerkkiä.” It is part of the broader Finnish practice of grounding abstract points in concrete instances.

See also: Esimerkki, Finnish grammar, Adessive case, Rhetorical devices.

Overall, esimerkillä functions as a concise, formal way to attribute an explanation or demonstration to a specific example within Finnish prose.