Itsestäänselväksi

Itsestäänselväksi is a Finnish adverb used to indicate that something is treated as self-evident or becomes self-evident. It is formed from the adjective itsestäänselvä (self-evident) with the translative suffix -ksi, which signals a change of state or transformation into that state. The related adverb itsestäänselvästi means “in a self-evident way,” while itsestäänselvyys is the noun form meaning “self-evidence.”

Etymology and grammar: Itsestäänselvä is a compound of itsen- (a reflexive root related to itse, self) and selvä (clear). The translative -ksi marks becoming or turning into a state, so itsestäänselväksi literally means “into self-evident.” In broader usage, the expression can denote that a claim, proposition, or condition is assumed to be obvious without further demonstration, or that it has been rendered obvious through argument or context.

Usage and nuance: The term appears mainly in formal, analytical, or scholarly prose, as well as in legal or philosophical contexts. It can convey either a descriptive observation (“it became self-evident”) or a normative claim (“this should be considered self-evident”). In rhetorical use, it may function to present something as beyond dispute or to critique an assertion that is taken as self-evident without justification.

Examples: Väite tehtiin itsestäänselväksi. (The claim was rendered self-evident.) Tilanne tuli itsestäänselväksi keskustelun edetessä. (The situation became self-evident as the discussion progressed.)

See also: itsestäänselvyys (self-evidence), itsestäänselvästi (in a self-evident manner).