iloksi

Iloksi is a Finnish word formed from the noun ilo (joy) with the translative suffix -ksi. In Finnish grammar, the translative denotes a change of state or the designation of something as a certain role, roughly equivalent to “into” or “as” in English. Therefore iloksi conveys “into joy” or “as joy,” indicating that something becomes joy for someone or is to be treated as joy.

The form ilokseni is a related construction created by adding the possessive suffix -ni to iloksi to express “to my joy” or “for my pleasure.” In usage, iloksi and ilokseni appear primarily in formal, literary, or ceremonial contexts, and in fixed phrases such as “Ilokseni kuulin uutiset” (“To my delight, I heard the news”) or “Se oli minulle iloksi” (“It was a joy to me”).

Other derivatives exist with different possessives: iloksesi (“to your joy”), iloksenne (“to your (plural) joy”), etc., though these are relatively rare outside written Finnish. In everyday speech, speakers more often express the idea with verbs such as “tuli iloiseksi” or use iloksi mainly in fixed phrases in formal or literary contexts.

See also: Finnish grammar, translative case, ilo.