vieriytymisen

Vieriytymisen is a Finnish noun describing the process or state of becoming foreign or alien—estrangement—from people, communities, or environments. It covers emotional, social, and existential dimensions, including feelings of otherness, isolation, or detachment.

Etymology: The word derives from the adjective vieras (foreign, strange) and the nominalizing suffix -tyminen, which forms nouns meaning “the act or process of becoming.” The genitive form vieriytymisen is used when the concept is treated as a subject or object within a sentence.

Usage and contexts: In sociology, anthropology, and philosophy, vieriytyminen is used to discuss the estrangement experienced by individuals in relation to a dominant culture, a social group, or their own self-understanding. In literature and cultural criticism, it can describe a character’s gradual drift from their community or from personal expectations. It is closely related to the Finnish term vieraantuminen, which more often denotes alienation or estrangement as a broader condition.

Relation to other concepts: Vieriytyminen intersects with discussions of identity formation, marginalization, acculturation, and otherness. Researchers may study its causes, such as cultural displacement, stigma, or trauma, and its consequences, including loss of belonging and changes in self-perception.

See also: vieraantuminen; alienation; acculturation; otherness.