välillisten

Välillisten is the genitive plural form of the Finnish adjective välillinen, which means indirect, secondary, or peripheral. In Finnish usage, välillinen describes something that is not direct or immediate, but occurs through another element or layer. The term is commonly found in descriptions of effects, relationships, costs, or actors that are not the primary or first-hand cause of an outcome.

Etymology and form: välillinen is formed from the root väli- meaning between or intermediary, with the suffix -llinen to create an adjective. The form välillisten is used when the noun it modifies is plural and in the genitive case, such as in phrases referring to several indirect effects or indirect actors.

Usage and domains: In linguistics and semantics, välillinen denotes indirect connections or influences. In economics and accounting, indirect costs (välilliset kustannukset) and indirect taxes (välilliset verot) are costs or levies not directly tied to a single product or activity. In policy, law, and social sciences, phrases like välilliset vaikutukset (indirect effects) or välilliset edunsaajat (indirect beneficiaries) are common. In sociology and organizational studies, välilliset toimijat refers to actors who influence outcomes without direct control.

See also: direct (suora) and indirect (välillinen) as antonyms; välittömät (immediate) as a related contrast. The use of välillisten depends on the noun it modifies, with capitalization and punctuation following standard Finnish grammar.

This article provides a concise overview of the term's meaning, usage, and grammatical behavior in Finnish.