moottoreiksi

Moottoreiksi is the translative plural form of the Finnish noun moottori, meaning engine. In Finnish, the translative case expresses a change of state or designation, and the plural ending -iksi attaches to the stem moottore- to form moottoreiksi. The form is used when something is being transformed into engines or is described as engines.

In practice, moottoreiksi appears in technical and historical contexts where components or devices are converted or repurposed as engines, or when something is described as functioning as engines. It typically follows verbs that denote transformation or designation, such as muuttaa or tehdä. For example: Koneesta tehtiin moottoreiksi. This translates to “The machine was turned into engines.” Another common construction is to describe a plan or result, e.g., Vanhoista osista suunniteltiin moottoreiksi muuntaminen.

Usage notes: moottoreiksi is used only with plural subject reference since it is the plural translative form. The corresponding singular form is moottoriksi (into an engine). As with other translatives, moottoreiksi answers questions like mihin toimitaan tai mihin tultaisiin.

Etymology: moottori originates from a root shared with other European motor terms and has been integrated into Finnish with standard Finnish plural and translative endings. The word is common in engineering, mechanical design, and historical descriptions of repurposing equipment.

See also: moottori, translatiivi (grammatical case), Finnish grammar.