Neliömäisiä

Neliömäisiä is a Finnish adjective form meaning square-shaped or in the form of a square. It is derived from the noun neliö (square) and the suffix -mäinen, which creates adjectives describing shape or appearance. The base form neliömäinen describes an object that has the shape of a square.

In Finnish, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in number and case. For the -inen adjectives, the obvious forms include neliömäinen (singular nominative), neliömäiset (plural nominative), neliömäistä (singular partitive), and neliömäisiä (plural partitive). Therefore, neliömäisiä is the plural partitive form and is used when the noun it describes is in partitive case or in certain predicative constructions after the verb olla (to be). Examples: "neliömäisiä esineitä" (square-shaped objects, partitive plural) and "Rakennukset olivat neliömäisiä" (The buildings were square-shaped).

Usage and nuance: neliömäinen emphasizes the general square-like shape, while terms like neliönmuotoinen or neliönmuotoinen rakennus are also common, with neliönmuotoinen often signaling a more exact or specific square outline. The choice between forms can depend on stylistic preference and the grammatical context.

See also: neliö (square), neliönmuotoinen (square-shaped, more explicit about the square’s geometry). The term is widely used in design, architecture, product descriptions, and everyday language when describing objects with a square appearance.