Pyhinä

Pyhinä is the plural essive form of the Finnish adjective pyhä, meaning holy or sacred. In Finnish grammar, the essive case expresses a state or role, roughly translating to “as” or “in the capacity of.” Pyhinä is used with plural nouns to indicate that something is being described in the sense of “as sacred” or “in a state of holiness” for multiple items, places, or beings. The corresponding singular form is pyhänä.

Common usages include phrases such as pyhinä pidetyt esineet (objects regarded as sacred) and pyhinä pidettävät paikat (places that are to be regarded as sacred). The form appears frequently in religious discourse, ceremonial descriptions, and cultural writing, as well as in museum labels and catalogues that denote sacred status of artefacts.

Morphology and notes: pyhä means sacred; to form the plural essive, Finnish uses the suffix -nä/-nä in many adjectives, yielding pyhinä. The singular essive is pyhänä. The distinction between singular and plural essive is important for correct agreement with the noun and the verb or participle it accompanies.

Cultural context: Concepts of sacredness in Finnish tradition cover objects, places, times, and persons. The plural essive pyhinä helps speakers describe items that hold sacred status collectively, such as relics, altars, or ceremonial spaces, without specifying each item individually.

See also: pyhä, pyhyys, pyhimys, kirkko.