Linkkeinä

Linkkeinä is a Finnish word that represents the essive plural form of the noun linkki, meaning link. In Finnish grammar, the essive case denotes a temporary state or role, and the plural form linkkeinä translates to “as links.” Thus linkkeinä is used when describing several items that are being treated or presented as hyperlinks.

The term is mainly found in linguistic, technical, or descriptive writing, such as documentation, user interface descriptions, or analytical text where the role of elements as hyperlinks is being discussed. It is less common in everyday speech, where simpler phrases like “linkit” (the links) or “linkit kuten linkkeinä” might be preferred.

Etymology and related forms: linkki is a borrowance from English link. The plural essive form with the suffix -nä yields linkkeinä (as links). Related forms include linkkinä (singular essive: “as a link”) and linkkien (genitive plural: “of the links”). The translative forms, such as linkkeiksi, denote “into links,” used to express transformation or change of state rather than a static role.

Usage notes: When choosing between essive and other cases or numbers, consider whether you are describing a state applied to multiple items (linkkeinä) or referring to the links themselves in a different grammatical function (linkit, linkkien). In most practical texts, alternative constructions may be clearer to general readers, but linkkeinä remains a valid, precise option in formal or technical Finnish.

Examples:

- Otsikot ovat linkkeinä navigaatiossa. (The headings are presented as links in the navigation.)

- Käyttöohjeissa useat termit toimivat linkkeinä tekstiin. (In the user guide, several terms function as links to the text.)

- Sivuston rakenne mallinnetaan linkkeinä. (The site structure is modeled as links.)

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