eiliteraliseen

eiliteraliseen is the illative singular form of the Finnish adjective eiliteralinen, which means not literal or figurative. The base adjective eiliteralinen is used to describe language, expressions, or interpretations that do not adhere to a strictly literal meaning. In scholarly and literary contexts, the term helps distinguish figurative or metaphorical usage from plain, literal wording.

As a grammatical form, eiliteraliseen accompanies nouns in the illative case, indicating movement toward or reference to a non-literal interpretation. For example, in a phrase such as eiliteraliseen tulkintaan, the meaning shifts from a literal reading toward a figurative or metaphorical one. The concept is commonly employed in literary analysis, rhetoric, and linguistic study when discussing how language can convey intended meaning beyond surface words.

Etymology traces eiliteralinen to ei, the negation prefix meaning “not,” combined with literalinen, derived from Latin littera through Finnish. The term aligns with related concepts such as metafora (metaphor), symboliikka (symbolism), and ironia (irony) in describing non-literal expressive strategies. It does not denote a separate stylistic category but rather a negation of literal interpretation used to frame analysis of how readers infer intended meaning.

In practice, eiliteralinen usage often appears in discussions of poetry, prose, and discourse where figurative language shapes interpretation. It emphasizes the distinction between what is stated literally and what is implied through imagery, analogy, or stylistic devices.