etäiset

Etäiset is a Finnish adjective meaning distant or remote. It is used before plural nouns to describe something far away in space, time, or relation. In everyday language it can sound more literary or formal than more common synonyms like kaukaiset, and it is frequently found in historical, speculative, or descriptive contexts: etäiset sivilisaatiot, etäiset vuodet, etäiset maanosat.

Etymology and form: etäiset is derived from etä, meaning far, with the standard Finnish adjectival suffix -inen. As an adjective in Finnish, etäiset inflects for number and cases; the plural nominative is etäiset, and forms such as etäisten (genitive plural) or etäisiä (partitive plural) appear when the noun they modify changes case or is in a different syntactic role. This pattern is typical for other -inen adjectives in Finnish.

Usage and nuances: The word carries a slightly more poetic or formal nuance than some everyday synonyms. It is well suited to describing distant civilizations, distant lands, or distant moments in time, and it can evoke a sense of distance that is not purely physical but also conceptual or historical. In academic or fiction writing, etäiset can help create a mood of remoteness or antiquity.

See also: etäisyys, etäinen, kaukaiset. While etäiset is widely understood, its usage tends toward literary or descriptive contexts, and speakers may choose kaukaiset for more common speech.