hiippakunniksi

Hiippakunniksi is a Finnish grammatical form: the translative plural of the noun hiippakunta, which means a diocese. It is used to indicate transformation into, or division into, ecclesiastical districts understood as dioceses. In practice, hiippakunniksi appears in descriptions of organizational changes within Christian churches, especially in Finland, where church administration is organized into hiippakunnat (dioceses).

In Finnish church contexts, a hiippakunta is a territorial unit led by a bishop. The phrase hiippakunniksi is employed when talking about processes such as reorganizations, mergers, or splits that result in territories being defined as, or redefined as, separate dioceses. For example, texts might state that regions were divided hiippakunniksi or that administrative structures were transformed hiippakunniksi. Outside strictly ecclesiastical writing, the form can also appear in historical or theoretical discussions of church governance and territorial organization.

Etymologically, hiippakunniksi is formed from hiippakunta (diocese) plus the translative suffix -ksi, with the plural ending implied by the noun’s grammatical number. The term is most commonly found in religious scholarship, church documents, and Finnish-language discussions of church structure. It is related to, but distinct from, the simple plural hiippakunnat or the singular hiippakunta, which refer to the dioceses as units rather than the act of becoming or being divided into them.

See also: hiippakunta, diocese, Finnish church administration.