Tyyppisiä

Tyyppisiä is a Finnish adjective form that functions as the plural partitive form of the word tyyppinen, meaning roughly “of a type” or “characteristic.” The form is used to describe multiple nouns in the partitive case or when the referenced quantity is indefinite. In Finnish, adjectives agree with the noun they modify in number and case, and -inen adjectives form the plural partitive with the ending -isiä, yielding tyypisiä.

Usage and nuance: The typpisiä form signals that the described items belong to a certain kind or category, rather than making a strictly normative statement. It commonly appears when the noun it modifies is plural and in partitive, or when the speaker refers to some but not all members of a set. The form is most commonly found in descriptive or analytical writing, lists of characteristics, or discussions of varieties within a group.

Morphology and syntax: As with other Finnish adjectives, typpisiä changes to reflect the case and number of the noun it modifies. It is the plural partitive form corresponding to tyyppinen. The related nominative plural form is tyypilliset or tyypilliset? In discussing Finnish grammar, it is helpful to distinguish the general pattern of -inen adjectives, and to recognize typpisiä as part of that pattern when the context requires a plural, indefinite reference.

Etymology: The noun tyyppi meaning “type” is a loanword in Finnish, historically sourced from Swedish typ, itself from Latin typus (and Greek typos).