siilien

Siilien is the genitive plural form of the Finnish noun siili, which means hedgehog. It is used to indicate possession or association with multiple hedgehogs. For example, Siilien ruokavalio koostuu pääasiassa hyönteisistä, meaning “the hedgehogs’ diet consists mainly of insects.”

In Finnish, the genitive plural siilien forms from the base siili and is paired with other standard case forms. The singular genitive is siilin, and the nominative plural is siilit. The plural partitive is siilejä. Thus, typical related forms for the word in ordinary use are siili (hedgehog), siilin (the hedgehog’s), siilit (hedgehogs), siilejä (hedgehogs in partitive contexts).

Usage and semantics: The form siilien appears almost exclusively in contexts involving more than one hedgehog and possession or attribution relating to that plural group. It is a grammatical inflection rather than a independent lexical item, and it typically appears in factual or descriptive text about hedgehogs in a plural sense.

Biology and distribution (contextual background): The Finnish term siili refers to the mammal known in English as the hedgehog, most commonly the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) in Europe. Hedgehogs are small, nocturnal mammals with spiny protection, insectivorous diets, and a tendency to hibernate in winter in temperate climates. In Finland, hedgehogs occur mainly in southern regions and surrounding habitats, where suitable shelter and food sources are available.