ilmissa

Ilmissa is a Finnish grammatical term referring to a specific inflected form of the noun ilma (air). It represents the inessive plural, used to express a location “in the airs” or “within air masses” in contexts where the air is treated as a countable or compositional domain. In ordinary speech, the inessive singular form ilmassa is far more common, whereas ilmissa appears mainly in technical, meteorological, or literary contexts.

Morphology and usage

Ilmissa is formed from ilma with the inessive plural suffix -issa. This contrasts with the inessive singular ilmassa (in the air). Finnish inflection marks such distinctions by number and case, so the choice between ilmassa and ilmissa depends on whether the reference is to a single air space or to multiple air masses or conceptual air domains. Because air is typically treated as an uncountable medium in everyday language, ilmissa is relatively rare and is most often found in specialized texts, poetry, or discussions that emphasize atmospheric compartments or plural air contexts.

Context and examples

In practical Finnish, ilmassa remains the standard way to say “in the air.” Ilmissa may appear when a writer explicitly treats air as comprising multiple strata, layers, or volumes, or when mirroring scientific terminology. The form helps convey nuance in discussions of atmospheric science, aeronautics, or descriptive prose, but it is not a common everyday usage.

See also

Finnish grammar, Inessive case, Ilma.