voimattomilta

Voimattomilta is a Finnish grammatical form derived from the adjective voimaton, meaning "powerless." The ending -ilta marks the elative plural, yielding the sense of "from the powerless" or "by the powerless" in English. As a case form rather than a standalone noun, voimattomilta typically appears within sentences to attribute agency or source to a group characterized by lack of power. It is most commonly encountered in Finnish prose and poetry where voices of marginalized people or subordinate groups are foregrounded, or in political or social commentary that aims to emphasize viewpoints outside of the dominant power structure.

In everyday language, the usage is specialized and depends on context. The form can appear with verbs that describe statements, claims, influence, or experiences attributed to those who lack power, or with nouns and adjectives that are linked to a certain group. The normative grammar uses the elative plural to indicate origin from a plural subject.

Etymology: from voimaton + elative plural suffix -ilta/-iltä. The concept is purely grammatical; there is no separate lexical entry corresponding exactly to "voimattomilta" beyond this inflected form.

See also: Finnish grammar, elative case, voimaton (powerless), marginalization in discourse.