merkkeihin

Merkkeihin is the illative plural form of the Finnish noun merkki, which means sign, mark or symbol. The illative case expresses movement toward or into something, so merkkeihin literally means into or toward the signs, understood as a set of signs or as a group of symbols. The form is not itself a concept, but a grammatical ending used in Finnish morphosyntax.

In Finnish, merkki has the plural merkit in the nominative; the illative singular is merkkiin, and the illative plural is merkkeihin. The illative plural suffix -ihin attaches to the stem merkke- to form merkkeihin. This follows the general pattern of illative plural endings in Finnish, contrasting with the singular illative -in after vowel like merkkiin. The word can appear in sentences describing generic signs, symbolic systems, or semiotic references.

Usage of merkkeihin is common in linguistic descriptions of Finnish grammar, in discussions of signs and symbols in media, signage design, or semiotics. It can appear in figurative language to indicate entering a system of signs or a framework of symbols. It is not a standalone concept, but a grammatical form that expands the noun merkki into a case form. See also merkki; illative case; Finnish grammar.