monisteiden

Monisteiden is the genitive plural form of the Finnish noun moniste, which refers to a duplicate copy of a document that is distributed to a group. Historically, monisteet were produced with mimeographs or similar stencil duplicators; with the spread of photocopying and digital printing, the term has broadened to cover any handout or printed material shared for reference, study, or information.

In use, monisteiden describes materials prepared for students, trainees, or participants in meetings and workshops. They are typically single sheets or small booklets, sometimes printed on one or both sides and bound or stapled. Contents can include lecture notes, assignments, worksheets, summaries, or official notices. The act of distribution is referred to as monisteiden jakaminen, while discussions about their content use phrases such as monisteiden sisältö.

The term remains common in educational and administrative contexts, though many institutions now provide digital equivalents (PDFs or online handouts) instead of physical copies. In everyday Finnish, monisteiden continues to serve as a convenient way to refer to a set of distributed copies collectively, especially when contrasted with original or source documents.

Grammatical note: monisteiden is the genitive plural form, used to indicate possession or association with the handouts, as in monisteiden sisältö (the content of the handouts) or monisteiden jakelusta (the distribution of the handouts). See also moniste (handout) and kopiomateriaali for related terms.