sulkuissa

Sulkuissa is a Finnish expression that denotes material enclosed by punctuation marks such as parentheses or brackets. In Finnish writing, the term is used to indicate that a portion of text is set off inside sulut (parentheses) or other enclosing marks like hakasulut (square brackets). The phrase is commonly encountered in editing, publishing, and academic writing to signal that the enclosed content is supplementary, clarifying, or not essential to the main text.

Etymology and form: Sulku means a closing mark or barrier, from the verb sulkea “to close.” The plural form sulut refers to the various enclosing marks, while sulkuissa expresses the location “in the brackets/parentheses” or more generally “inside the enclosing marks.” The construction is part of standard Finnish punctuation and grammar, and it can apply to content inside parentheses or brackets.

Usage and considerations: In practice, sulkuissa is used to mark asides, explanations, or examples that readers may skip without losing the core meaning. It appears in prose, captions, and scholarly writing to organize information and reduce clutter in the main flow. Style guides in Finnish emphasize consistency in punctuation, including how parentheses and brackets interact with surrounding text, spacing, and capitalization after the closing mark. Some contexts prefer parentheses for brief asides and brackets for editorial additions or technical notation.

See also: sulut, sulkeet, hakasulut, parenthesis, brackets.