selitysten

Selitysten is the genitive plural form of the Finnish noun selitys, which means explanation, justification, or account. The form is used to refer to multiple explanations or to the explanations associated with something. In everyday and formal Finnish, selitysten appears in phrases that attach explanations to a subject or context, for example to indicate that conclusions come from the explanations provided.

In practice, selitysten is most commonly encountered in phrases such as selitysten mukaan, meaning according to the explanations, or selitysten antaminen, meaning the giving of explanations. It can also function in a possessive sense, as in selitysten laatiminen (the preparation of explanations) or selitysten rakenne (the structure of explanations). The genitive plural signals that more than one explanation is being referred to, or that explanations belong to a set of sources, documents, or statements.

Usage typically appears in journalism, academic writing, and legal or political discourse, where explanations are cited as the basis for conclusions or actions. The word emphasizes the attribution of reasoning or justification to a group of explanations rather than to a single statement.

Etymology and related terms: selitys comes from the Finnish verb selittää, to explain. Related forms include selitys (singular), selittäminen (the act of explaining), and selostus (an account or description). While selitysten specifically marks the genitive plural, other cases of selitys are used with different syntactic functions in sentences.

See also: selitys, selittäminen, selostus.