Jäljityksellä

Jäljityksellä is a Finnish adessive noun form derived from jäljitys, meaning tracing, tracking, or pursuit. The term expresses the state or method of pursuing something, roughly translating to “on the trail” or “in pursuit” in English. It functions as an adverbial noun, indicating how an action is carried out or under what conditions it occurs.

Etymology and grammar: Jäljitys comes from jälki, meaning trace, combined with the nominalizing suffix -itys. The adessive suffix -llä yields jäljityksellä, which denotes location or mode, i.e., being on the trail or engaged in tracking. The form is used with verbs of investigation, pursuit, or surveillance to specify the manner of activity.

Usage and context: The expression appears mainly in investigative writing, crime reporting, and literature dealing with pursuit or tracing of leads. It is less common in casual everyday speech, where speakers tend to use more everyday phrases like on the trail (jäljillä) or to describe following leads more directly. As an adverbial noun, jäljityksellä can modify actions to emphasize that they are conducted through tracing, tracking, or methodical pursuit.

Related terms and nuances: Related words include jäljitys (the act of tracing or tracking), jäljittäminen (the process of tracing or pursuing), and seuranta (monitoring or surveillance). The choice between jäljityksellä and other forms depends on the desired nuance, with jäljityksellä highlighting the tracking-based approach.

See also: Finnish grammar and case system; jäljitys; jäljittäminen; seuranta.