Kuvailevissa

Kuvailevissa is a Finnish morphological form derived from the adjective kuvaileva, meaning descriptive. It represents the plural inessive case of the adjective, used with plural nouns to indicate a descriptive or illustrative sense in a setting described as such. In practice, kuvailevissa functions as “in descriptive terms/contexts” and is most common in formal or analytical writing.

Morphology and usage are straightforward: the base adjective kuvaileva is inflected for number and case to agree with the noun it modifies. In the plural inessive, the suffix -issa/-issä is added, yielding kuvailevissa. This form accompanies plural nouns to describe something as descriptive rather than strictly factual or normative. For example, kuvailevissa esimerkeissä means “in descriptive examples,” and kuvailevissa yhteyksissä means “in descriptive contexts.”

In usage, kuvailevissa appears primarily in academic, linguistic, or theoretical prose where distinctions between descriptive and prescriptive or normative language are discussed. It can also appear in analyses comparing descriptive passages across texts or genres. The term is not a separate lexical entry but a grammatical form of kuvaileva, and its interpretation depends on the surrounding nouns and the broader communicative purpose.

Etymology: kuvaileva comes from kuvaile- (to describe) with the typical Finnish adjective ending, and kuvailevissa is formed by adding the plural inessive suffix -issa (or -issä, depending on vowel harmony) to create the plural inessive form. See also Finnish adjective declension and inessive cases for related forms.