syrjintänä

Syrjintänä is the essive form of the Finnish noun syrjintä, meaning discrimination or bias. In Finnish grammar, the essive case expresses a temporary state or role, so syrjintänä translates roughly as “as discrimination” or “in the capacity of discrimination.” The form is mainly used in linguistic, sociological, and analytical writing to describe how a practice, statement, or policy is perceived or classified in a given context.

Etymology and form: The word is built from syrjintä with the essive suffix -nä, reflecting its grammatical function rather than creating a new lexical item. As such, syrjintänä is not a separate concept, but a grammatical construction that enables a descriptive assessment.

Usage and contexts: In discussions of equality, law, and public policy, syrjintänä can appear when authors want to state that something is being regarded or analyzed as discrimination. It helps to convey a stance or interpretation without asserting an absolute fact. It is commonly found in academic writing, policy analyses, and legal discussions where nuance about classification is important.

Relation to related forms: Syrjintänä is contrasted with syrjinnäksi (translative, “to become discrimination”) and syrjinnän (genitive, “of discrimination”). Choosing the appropriate form depends on how the phrase fits into the sentence and what state or action is being described.

See also: syrjintä, tasa-arvo, yhdenvertaisuus, oikeudellinen kieli.