jumalista

Jumalista is the elative plural form of the Finnish noun jumala, meaning “god.” It is formed by taking the plural stem jumalat and adding the elative suffix -ista, which signals origin or source in Finnish grammar. The elative case can express movement away from something or, in other contexts, a source or basis, and in the plural form jumalista is commonly used to indicate origin or association with the gods.

In usage, jumalista often appears in phrases that denote topics or references rather than physical origin. For example, it is used in expressions such as keskustelu jumalista (a discussion about the gods) or tarina jumalista (a tale about the gods). The form is also encountered in mythological or religious writing and can carry a literary or formal tone.

Because Finnish relies on case endings rather than prepositions to mark relationships, jumalista must be recognized by its form rather than by a separate preposition. Its meaning is thereby determined by context: it can convey “from the gods,” “of the gods,” or “about the gods” depending on the verb and surrounding words.

See also: Finnish language, Finnish grammar, elative case.