muodoilla

Muodoilla is a Finnish term formed as the plural adessive of muoto, meaning “with forms” or “by shapes.” The base muoto has several senses, including shape, form, design, or version, and in linguistics it can refer to a grammatical form as well. The adessive case (-lla/-llä) in Finnish marks location or instrument, and in plural this yields muodoilla. Consequently, muodoilla is typically used to describe something that is done or understood through shapes, forms, or design elements.

In practice, muodoilla appears in discussions of art, design, and architecture, where analysts describe how a composition or structure relies on specific shapes. For example, kuvataiteessa muodoilla voidaan korostaa rytimiä ja tasapainoa (in visual art, shapes can emphasize rhythm and balance). In design and architecture, muodoilla ja mittasuhteilla on keskeinen rooli (forms and proportions play a central role). The phrase can also be used to speak of methods or aesthetics defined by shape, such as “muodoilla ilmaisun vahvistaminen” (strengthening expression through form).

Notes on usage: muodoilla is a normal grammatical form and not a standalone concept. In contexts where the meaning could be unclear, speakers may specify with phrases like taivutusmuodoilla (by inflectional forms) or sanamuotojen muodoilla (by the word forms) to clarify the reference to grammatical forms. Overall, muodoilla serves as a generic way to discuss the role of shapes and forms in various disciplines.