Välillään

Välillään is a Finnish word used primarily as an adverbial expression meaning “between” or “among,” especially in relation to two or more parties, objects, or places. It denotes a position, distance, or relationship that links the involved elements. The form is often employed with a possessive pronoun or noun to specify who is involved, for example: meillä ja heillä ovat asiat heidän välillään (the matters are between us and them). Common usage includes statements about social or relational distance, tensions, or interactions that occur between groups or individuals.

In practice, välillään tends to appear in more formal or literary contexts, and in everyday language speakers may opt for other forms such as väliä, väliin, or välissä depending on nuance and grammar. When specifying the parties, phrases like meidän välillämme (between us) or heidän välillään (between them) are typical, underscoring the interpersonal or intergroup aspect of the relation.

Etymology and form: the word is derived from väli, meaning gap or interval, with suffixes that create a postpositional, relational expression. This construction highlights a link or contrast between the elements mentioned.

See also: väli (gap, interval); välillä (between, among; occasionally/time-related sense); Finnish postpositional phrases.

This entry provides a concise overview of välillään as a relational, between-two-or-more-entities expression in Finnish, suitable for readers seeking a neutral, dictionary-style understanding.