öljyisten

Öljyisten is a Finnish inflected form of the adjective öljyinen, meaning oily or oil-covered. It is not a standalone noun; it functions as an adjective that describes a noun, with its form determined by Finnish grammar.

The form öljyisten is the genitive plural of the adjective. It is used when the noun it modifies is in the genitive case or when forming noun phrases that express possession or attribution, such as "öljyisten käsien" (of oily hands). For example, phrases like "öljyisten käsien pesu" mean a washing of oily hands. This form contrasts with the nominative plural "öljyiset," which would describe oily hands when the noun is in the nominative plural, as in "öljyiset kädet."

In Finnish, adjectives agree with the nouns they describe in number and case. The suffixes of adjectives with the -inen ending derive from the broader pattern of Finnish adjective inflection, where genitive plural endings for adjectives commonly appear as -isten. Thus, öljyisten reflects the standard pattern of inflecting an -inen adjective to match a genitive plural noun.

Etymology traces öljyinen to the noun öljy (oil) plus the adjectival suffix -inen, which together form a word meaning having the qualities of oil or being oily. The genitive plural form öljyisten is a predictable part of this inflection system and is encountered in contexts describing multiple oily items or quantities.