Ihanteista

Ihanteista is the elative plural form of the Finnish noun ihanne, meaning from the ideals or from the role models. In Finnish, ihanne can refer to a standard or goal to strive for (the ideal) as well as to a person admired as a model (the idol); the plural ihanteet can convey either sense, while ihanteista marks origin or source in the elative case.

Linguistic notes: The word ihanteista is used when speaking of sources connected to multiple ideals or role models. The elative case (-sta/-stä) expresses origin or we-the-source-of-influence. The distinction between ideals and idols is determined by context, since ihanne covers both senses in everyday language and in literary usage.

Usage: Ihanteista commonly appears in phrases such as ihanteista ammennettu inspiraatio (inspiration drawn from ideals) or keskustelu ihanteista (a discussion about the ideals). It can also appear in critical or evaluative contexts, where discussions turn on what values or models originate a point of view.

Examples:

- Ihanteista ammennettu inspiraatio näkyi hänen töidensä sävyissä. (Inspiration drawn from ideals showed in his/her work.)

- Sukupolvien ihanteista käyty keskustelu jatkuu. (The discussion about generations’ ideals continues.)

See also: ihanne, idols and ideals in Finnish discourse, elative case in Finnish grammar.