kosketuksena

Kosketuksena is the essive form of the Finnish noun kosketus, meaning "a touch" or "the act of touching." In Finnish grammar, kosketuksena marks a temporary state or role, roughly corresponding to the English phrase "as a touch." It is formed by adding the essive suffix -na/-nä to kosketus, with normal vowel harmony, producing kosketuksena.

The primary function of kosketuksena is predicative or predicative-like, used to describe how something is experienced in a given moment or the role something assumes in a situation. It is commonly found in formal, literary, or philosophical writing rather than in everyday speech. In contrast, to express means or instrument by which something is done, Finnish typically uses the adessive kosketuksella (by means of a touch). The translative kosketukseksi can indicate a change of state or identity, such as becoming something, but that form has a different nuance from kosketuksena.

Semantically, kosketuksena can convey a figurative sense of identity or function, for example in discussions of experience, perception, or artistic description where a “touch” serves as a metaphor for atmosphere or effect. Its usage tends to be more constrained and stylistically marked, making it more common in written or carefully crafted prose than in casual conversation.

Etymology: kosketuksena combines kosketus with the essive suffix -na, producing a form that denotes "in the capacity of a touch." See also kosketus, essive case, and Finnish grammar.