Monisteen

Monisteen is the genitive form of the Finnish noun moniste, which refers to a duplicate or mimeographed copy of a document. The term describes a single copy or a set of copies produced by a duplicating process such as a mimeograph or carbon copy, typically intended for distribution to many recipients. In practical use, monisteet were common in offices, schools, and government bodies, especially from the early 20th century until photocopying and digital publishing became widespread. The phrases monisteen sisältö (the content of the moniste) or monisteen jakaminen (distribution of the moniste) illustrate common contexts.

The word derives from the verb monistaa (to duplicate) and the noun-forming suffix -e, with the genitive ending -en indicating possession or association as in monisteen tekeminen (the making of the moniste). While still understood, moniste is largely supplanted by kopio, digitaalinen materiaali, or PDF-tiedosto in contemporary usage. The concept remains of interest in archival work and linguistic discussions about Finnish administrative terminology, where references to monisteista and monisteen kaltaiset ilmaisut appear.

See also mimeography, ditto machine, photocopy, document duplication, Finnish administrative language.