Ketjumaista

Ketjumaista is Finnish an adjective meaning chain-like or resembling a chain. It describes objects, structures, or processes that are connected in a linear, linked, or sequential form. The word is formed from ketju, meaning chain, with the suffix -maista that expresses likeness.

The term is used across scientific, technical, and descriptive contexts. In materials science and chemistry, ketjumaista can describe systems where units are linked in a chain, such as polymer chains or other linear assemblies. In biology or geology, it may refer to structures or patterns that are arranged in a successive, linked manner. Beyond physical forms, ketjumaista can be used metaphorically to describe sequences of events, steps in a process, or networks where elements follow one another in a chain-like order.

In practice, nouns or noun phrases describing the subject are often paired with ketjumaista to convey the chain-like character, for example ketjumaista rakennetta (a chain-like structure) or ketjumaista etenemistä (a chain-like progression). The term is a standard descriptive tool in Finnish writing and speech when a chain or sequential linkage is a defining feature of the subject.

See also: chain, ketju, sequent, linear arrangement.