Puolueiksi

Puolueiksi is the translative plural form of the Finnish noun puolue, meaning a political party or party group. It marks a change into or designation as parties, rather than mere existence as parties. The form is commonly used with verbs that denote becoming or formation, such as tulla and muuttua.

In practice, puolueiksi is used to describe processes in which groups become political parties. For example, useat ryhmät tulivat puolueiksi (several groups became parties) or Hanke muuttui lopulta puolueiksi (the initiative ultimately turned into parties). The singular counterpart is puolueeksi (into a party). The essive plural puolueina exists as a separate form meaning “as parties” or “in the capacity of parties.”

The term is primarily heard in political science, journalism, and historical accounts of party formation, but it also appears in general discussions of organizational transformation. Understanding the distinction between translative forms (puolueiksi) and essive forms (puolueina) helps in parsing sentences that describe becoming versus acting as parties.

See also: puolue, translatiivinen case, essive case.