maallisiin

Maallisiin is the illative plural form of the Finnish adjective maallinen, which means worldly, secular, or material in the sense of things belonging to this world. The base maallinen is formed from the noun maailma (world) with the common adjectival suffix -llinen, giving a term used to describe things associated with the earthly or secular sphere rather than the spiritual.

In usage, maallinen describes attributes, matters, or phenomena connected to everyday worldly life. The illative plural ending -isiin signals movement toward or into a set of things when the noun is plural, as in maallisiin asioihin (to worldly matters) or maallisiin ilmiöihin (to worldly phenomena). The related forms include maallisia (partitive or plural nominative), maallisten (genitive plural), and maallisiin as the illative plural form; context determines the exact case and number.

Maallisiin is often encountered in philosophical, sociological, and religious discourse to contrast worldliness with hengellinen (spiritual) concerns. In everyday language, maallinen may be used to denote secular or mundane aspects of life, and its meaning can range from simply “worldly” to “material” depending on context. The term is part of a broader vocabulary that negotiates distinctions between the secular and sacred, the material world, and ideals or transcendence.

See also: Hengellinen, Maailma, Maailmallinen usage.