varjoilla

Varjoilla is the plural adessive form of the Finnish noun varjo, meaning "shadow" or "shade." In Finnish, the adessive case (suffix -lla/-llä) marks location on or with something. Therefore varjoilla translates roughly to "on the shadows" or "with the shadows" when referring to more than one shadow. The singular adessive form is varjolla (on the shadow). The word often appears in descriptive or literary contexts and is less common in everyday speech, where varjoissa (in the shadows) is typically used for location.

Etymology and form: varjo ("shadow") + -lla to create the adessive form; in the plural, the suffix denotes both number and case, yielding varjoilla for "on the shadows." This follows regular Finnish noun inflection patterns, with varjojen as the genitive plural and varjot as the nominative plural.

Usage and nuance: Varjoilla can be used to describe literal spatial relations in which something is situated on or among shadows, though such usage is more likely in poetry or evocative prose. In everyday language, speakers commonly use other constructions to express being in a shadow or shaded area, such as varjoissa or iníš general descriptive phrasing. Initerpretations of varjoilla can also carry figurative meanings related to obscurity or concealment, depending on context.

See also: varjo, Finnish grammar, adessive case.