Musteilla

Musteilla is the Finnish adessive plural form of the noun muste, meaning ink. The word literally translates to “with inks” and is used to denote an action performed using ink as the medium, or situations involving multiple inks. In everyday language, musteilla signals instrumentality or accompaniment, for example when describing writing or drawing done with ink.

In grammatical terms, musteilla functions as an instrument-based modifier. It is typically paired with verbs of creation or manipulation, such as kirjoittaa (to write), piirtää (to draw), or maalata (to paint), to indicate that ink is the medium employed. Because muste is a mass noun, musteilla expresses the idea of doing something with ink rather than with a specific countable unit of ink.

In contemporary usage, musteilla appears in discussions of art, literature, and calligraphy, particularly when distinguishing ink-based methods from pencils, digital media, or other substrates. It is common in critique, descriptions of techniques, and artist statements to highlight the tactile and historical aspects of working with ink.

See also: muste (ink), kynä (pen), musteellinen taide (ink-based art). The term remains primarily a linguistic descriptor in Finnish, though it can appear in artistic or scholarly contexts to emphasize the ink medium in a process or work.