Retoriikaksi

Retoriikaksi is the translative form of the Finnish noun retoriikka, meaning rhetoric. In Finnish grammar, the translative case (-ksi) expresses a change of state or a designation of something as something else, often translated as “into” or “as.”

In usage, retoriikaksi is used when describing a transition or labeling a discourse as rhetoric. It appears in analyses of speeches, texts, and communication where something is reframed or understood as rhetoric. A typical example is the sentence “Keskustelu muuttui retoriikaksi,” meaning “The discussion turned into rhetoric.” The form is commonly encountered in academic discussions of rhetoric, stylistics, or discourse analysis, rather than in everyday conversation.

Retoriikaksi is closely related to the base concept retoriikka, which denotes the study and practice of rhetoric. The word retains its meaning in the translative form, allowing speakers to discuss the process or result of reframing content as rhetorical. The construction reflects Finnish morphological patterns, where the noun is combined with the translative suffix to indicate transformation or designation.

Etymologically, retoriikka derives from a long tradition of rhetoric in Western languages, and in Finnish it has been incorporated as retoriikka with the translative extension retoriikaksi for change-of-state or labeling use. In scholarly writing, retoriikaksi often appears in discussions about how political discourse, media messages, or public speeches are shaped to function as rhetoric.

See also: retoriikka, Finnish grammar, translative case.