oksiksi

Oksiksi is a Finnish grammatical form. It is the translative plural form of the noun oksa, which means “branch.” In Finnish, the translative case marks a change of state or designation and is often rendered in English as “into” or “as.” Therefore oksiksi literally means “as branches” or “into branches,” used when the subject is plural and undergoing a transformation expressed by the noun.

Etymology and form: The base is oksa (branch). The translative suffix -ksi marks the change of state; the plural form for this noun yields oksiksi. The corresponding singular translative form is oksaksi (e.g., puu muuttui oksaksi, a tree turned into a branch), while the plural sentence would use oksiksi (e.g., puut muuttuivat oksiksi, trees turned into branches).

Usage: In standard Finnish, oksiksi appears primarily in discussions of grammar, linguistic description, or metaphorical language describing transformation. It can occur in poetry or prose when describing multiple objects becoming branches or taking on the function of branches. Outside of grammatical analysis, the form is rarely needed in everyday speech, and you will more commonly encounter the singular oksaksi when referring to a single object turning into a branch.

See also: Finnish grammar, translative case, oksa (branch).

Notes: Oksiksi can also appear in educational materials as an example of the translative plural, illustrating how Finnish expresses change of state with plural subjects.