Suhteellisissa

Suhteellisissa is the inessive plural form of the Finnish adjective suhteellinen, meaning relative or contextual. The form is used when the adjective modifies a plural noun in a locational or contextual sense, for example in phrases describing conditions, interpretations, or measurements that depend on a reference frame or context. By itself it is not a standalone concept but a grammatical form that appears in written and spoken Finnish within larger noun phrases.

Morphology and usage knowledge: The root suhe- comes from suhe, meaning relation or connection, and the suffix -ellinen creates adjectives. In Finnish adjective declension, the inessive plural ending for -inen adjectives is typically -issa or -issa in many forms, yielding suhteellisissa. This form agrees with a plural noun in the phrase and signals “in relative/ contextual terms.”

Contexts and function: Suhteellisissa commonly occurs in scientific, philosophical, or analytical writing where statements are qualified as dependent on context, reference frames, or comparison bases. It helps indicate that conclusions, measurements, or interpretations are not absolute but vary with the chosen context or relation being considered. The term is most often part of larger expressions such as suhteen- or mittasuhde-based phrases, where the adjective modifies the relevant plural noun.

Notes: As a grammatical form, suhteellisissa serves a descriptive role rather than naming a distinct concept. Its sense is derived from the broader meaning of suhteellinen and the noun it modifies. In ordinary language, Finnish speakers typically rely on full phrases to convey relativistic or context-dependent nuances.

See also: Finnish adjectives, relative terms, context dependence, linguistic relativity.