epäidenttisiä

Epäidenttiset refers to a set of ambiguous pronouns in the Finnish language. They are used in situations where the gender of the person or thing being referred to is not known or cannot be determined. These pronouns are also used in more general or hypothetical contexts.

The epäidenttiset pronouns in Finnish are Näiden, Jokainen, and Jossakin, among others. Näiden and Jokainen are used as indefinite pronouns and are often translated as "one", "somebody", or "someone", while Jossakin is more versatile and can be translated to "some place" or "somewhere". These pronouns are essential in Finnish grammar as they allow speakers to avoid making explicit reference to someone's gender, which is an essential aspect of the Finnish language.

In Finnish, nouns are either in the nominative, partitive or possessive genitive case, and they can also change their grammatical gender depending on the adjective used to describe them. The epäidenttiset pronouns, on the other hand, are a category unto their own, not agreeing with any of the usual Finnish noun cases. They can be understood as a special option available in the language to make the message as clear and neutral as possible.

The use of epäidenttiset can be observed in conversational idioms and linguistic expressions. For instance, when a Finn asks "Olitko näissä?" they are asking if you were "among those" or "one of them", referring to people who are being addressed, regardless of their gender. So, their use helps to ensure that a speaker rarely or never commits to assuming the gender of another speaker.