Värilliset

Värilliset is a Finnish noun formed from the adjective värillinen "colored" and the plural ending -iset. While värillinen primarily describes objects or materials with color, värilliset has occasionally been used to refer to people perceived as belonging to a racial or ethnic group distinguished by skin color, i.e., "people of color." In contemporary Finnish public discourse, the term can carry sensitive or loaded connotations due to historical usage and racial implications. Because of this, many speakers and writers prefer more precise and neutral expressions, such as ihmiset, joilla on vähemmistötausta, or vähemmistöön kuuluvat ihmiset, or specify nationality or origin.

In non-human contexts, värilliset serves as the plural noun for groups of colored items: värilliset kuvat (colored pictures) and värilliset langat (colored threads). The adjective can also describe non-racial color distinctions, as in värilliset kankaat (colored fabrics).

Notes: The term's acceptability varies by context, region, and era. In many contemporary texts, värilliset is avoided in reference to people and is replaced by more precise language. It remains a part of Finnish lexicon primarily as a general descriptor of color and, when used about people, as a historically loaded or context-dependent term. Related terms include värillinen and väri for color, and rotu or etnisyys for discussions of race and ethnicity.