ilmaisussa

Ilmaisussa is the inessive singular form of the Finnish noun ilmaisu, meaning expression, wording, or manifestation. In usage, ilmaisussa denotes “in the expression” or “in the wording” and is commonly found in linguistic descriptions, grammar discussions, and analyses of how something is expressed.

The base word ilmaisu comes from the verb ilmaista, to express. As a noun, ilmaisu refers to the act or result of expressing, the way something is said or shown, and to a broader sense of linguistic or artistic expression. The inessive form ilmaisussa is one of several inflected cases that Finnish uses to indicate location or state relative to the expression itself.

In practical Finnish, ilmaisussa appears in contexts such as language studies, rhetoric, or literature when the writer wants to talk about the manner or form of expression. Examples include phrases like kielen ilmaisussa on vivahteita (there are nuances in the expression of the language) or taiteen ilmaisussa piilee tulkinnanvaraa (there is room for interpretation in the expression of art). The word is typically accompanied by a modifier in the genitive or a prepositional phrase to specify what is being expressed (for example, sanan ilmaisussa, the expression of the word).

Related forms include ilmaisun (genitive: of ilmaisu), ilmaisulla (adessive: on the expression), and ilmaisun ilmaisullinen käyttö (expressive use of the expression). The term is primarily a literary or linguistic descriptor and is less common in everyday speech outside of analytical discussion.