erisukuisia

Erisukuisia is a Finnish term and adjective meaning unrelated or from different kin, used to describe people or groups that do not belong to the same immediate family. The word is formed from eri ('different') and suku ('kin, family'), with the adjectival suffix -inen, producing erisukuisia in its plural form when referring to multiple unrelated individuals or groups (for example erisukuisia henkilöitä, 'unrelated individuals') or erisukuisia sukuja, 'unrelated lineages'. In kinship and population studies, erisukuisia is used to distinguish between closely related individuals (lähisukulaisia) and those without recent common ancestry, as well as to discuss genetic diversity, mating patterns, and sampling strategies.

Usage and nuance: the term emphasizes lack of close genealogical relatedness rather than a specific degree of kinship. Depending on the study, erisukuisia may refer to relationships beyond a few generations or beyond a defined kinship coefficient. Cultural definitions of kinship can affect interpretation, so researchers may specify criteria such as a minimum number of generations or a coefficient threshold when referring to erisukuisia.

In Finnish literature, erisukuisia is more common in academic contexts (anthropology, genetics, demography) than in everyday speech. See also: lähisukulainen, etäisukulainen, sukulaisuussuhteet, geneettinen monimuotoisuus.