sirpaleiksi

Sirpaleiksi is a Finnish word form meaning “into shards” or “as shards.” It is the translative plural of the noun sirpale, which means a shard, fragment, or splinter. The translative case is used in Finnish to express a change of state or transformation into something new.

Morphology and usage

The base noun sirpale has the plural nominative sirpaleet and the plural partitive sirpaleita. When describing a process that results in multiple pieces, the translative plural form sirpaleiksi is used after verbs that denote becoming or turning into something, such as muuttu(a) or tulla. Examples include: lasit muuttuivat sirpaleiksi (the glass became shards), kivet murskautuivat ja muuttuivat sirpaleiksi (the stones crushed into shards). Sirpaleiksi conveys a sense of fragmentation into many small pieces rather than a single object transforming.

Etymology

Sirpaleiksi is formed from sirpale plus the translative suffix -ksi, with the plural ending -iksi indicating multiple elements. The root sirpale denotes a fragment or shard, a piece broken from a larger whole.

Context and nuance

The term is common in descriptive or narrative language involving breakage, destruction, or processes that produce fragments. It does not function as a proper noun and is used in everyday Finnish as well as in technical or literary contexts to emphasize the outcome of breaking apart.

See also

Finnish grammar: translative case; noun sirpale; phrases describing transformation or fragmentation.