porakoneeksi

Porakoneeksi is the translative form of the Finnish noun porakone, meaning a drill or power drill. In Finnish grammar, the translative case (-eksi) expresses a change of state or a shift in function, so porakoneeksi signifies “as a drill” or “to become a drill.” The form is commonly used in contexts where a device or tool is described in the role of a drill, or when something is repurposed for drilling.

Morphology and related forms: Porakone is a compound of pora (drill) and kone (machine). The translative suffix -eksi attaches to the base to indicate transformation or function. A closely related form is porakoneena, the essive case meaning “as a drill” in a more static sense, while porakoneeksi emphasizes a change or use in a different role. The choice between translative and essive can affect nuance, with translative focusing on the act of becoming or being used as.

Usage notes: Porakoneeksi appears primarily in instructional, technical, or descriptive Finnish where a device is described in its role as a drill or in a hypothetical usage. It is common after verbs like käyttää (to use) or muuttaa (to transform). Examples include: “Käytä tätä laitetta porakoneeksi,” meaning “Use this device as a drill,” and “Laitteen voi käyttää porakoneeksi korjaustöissä.” In everyday language, the essive porakoneena may be used to describe a device’s current role, as in “laitteenä porakoneena.”

See also: porakone, translatiivi case in Finnish grammar.