Fossiloituneiksi

Fossiloituneiksi is a Finnish word-form used to express a change into a fossilized state for multiple subjects. It is the translative plural form of the participial adjective fossilisoitunut (fossilized), built from the verb fossiloida (to fossilize) with the participial stem fossiloitune- and the translative plural suffix -iksi. The form indicates that something becomes fossilized or is regarded as fossilized as a result of the action described by the finite verb.

In typical use, fossiloituneiksi accompanies verbs of becoming, such as muuttua (to become) or tulla (to come to be), to describe a transition to a fossilized condition. For example: Eläimet muuttuivat fossiloituneiksi. The phrase can appear in geological or paleontological writing to discuss preservation processes, or in literary or metaphorical contexts to evoke a sense of time being preserved or frozen.

Because fossilization is a specialized concept, fossiloituneiksi occurs most often in technical texts about paleontology, sedimentology, or archaeology, but it can also appear in fiction or poetic prose to convey permanence or the passage of deep time. The form demonstrates Finnish’s expressive capacity to articulate state changes for plural subjects through the translative mood.

See also: fossilization, Finnish grammar, translative mood.