esimerkin

Esimerkin is the genitive form of the Finnish noun esimerkki, meaning an example, illustration, or instance. In Finnish texts, esimerkin functions to refer to a particular example or to indicate a relationship with that example in phrases such as esimerkin mukaan (according to the example), esimerkin perusteella (based on the example), and esimerkin tarkoitus (the purpose of the example). It is a common element in instructional, academic, and explanatory writing.

Etymology and form: Esimerkki is a loanword, historically borrowed from Swedish exempel, which itself derives from Latin exemplum meaning a sample or pattern. The genitive esimerkin is produced by adding Finnish inflectional endings, reflecting standard noun-formation patterns in the language. This form is used exclusively with singular nouns; plural would be esimerkkien.

Usage and context: Esimerkin usage is neutral and widely understood in Finnish. It appears in both formal and informal writing when pointing to a specific example or when attributing information to an example. The word commonly collocates with prepositional phrases to indicate how the example informs a statement, such as esimerkin mukaan or esimerkin perusteella. In instructional material, stating “esimerkin avulla” or “esimerkin perusteella” helps anchor abstract concepts to concrete instances.

See also: esimerkki (the base noun meaning “example”), esimerkiksi (for example, an adverbial phrase in Finnish), esimerkkejä (plural).