teisten

Teisten is a Finnish form associated with the noun teisti, which means "theist" (one who believes in a god or gods). In standard contemporary Finnish, the genitive plural of teisti is teistien, used to indicate possession by theists, for example teistien näkemykset meaning "the theists’ views." Teisten is not a commonly accepted standard form in modern Finnish and is typically considered nonstandard, archaic, or the result of orthographic variation in some texts.

The distinction between teistien and teisten reflects Finnish noun inflection patterns. Noun teisti belongs to the -isti/--isti- group, and its plural forms follow the general genitive plural ending -ien in standard usage. The presence of teisten is primarily of interest to learners and scholars examining historical language data, regional speech, or transcription variations rather than as a live, everyday form.

Thematic context for the term is tied to the broader concept of theism in Finnish. Theism, or teismi, refers to belief in a god or gods. Related terms include ateismi (atheism) and teistinen ajattelu (theistic thinking). When discussing beliefs and groups, speakers normally use teistit (theists) and teistien (theists’ of the theists’ views, possessions, or characteristics) in standard Finnish.

In summary, teisten is a nonstandard or historical form linked to teisti, with teistien as the normative genitive plural in contemporary Finnish. Its relevance today is primarily linguistic or academic, rather than practical for contemporary writing. See also teismi, teisti, teistinen ajattelu, and ateismi.