Allatiivplural

Allatiivplural is the plural form of the allative case in Finnish grammar. The allative marks direction toward a destination or recipient, and the plural form is used when the destination or recipient is plural. In Finnish, the basic allative suffix is -lle. For singular nouns, this suffix attaches to the singular stem (talolle = to the house, ystävälle = to a friend). For plural nouns, the suffix attaches to the plural stem, yielding taloille = to the houses and ystäville = to friends.

Formation and examples illustrate the pattern clearly. Singular: talo (house) → talolle (to the house); ystävä (friend) → ystävälle (to a friend). Plural: talot (houses) → taloille (to the houses); ystävät (friends) → ystäville (to friends). Other common plural allatives include pronouns and place terms, such as heille (to them) and maille (to lands/places), depending on the noun’s plural form.

Usage of the allative plural occurs when an action is directed at multiple recipients or toward multiple destinations. It is often seen with verbs of giving, sending, or directing motion, as in Minä annan kirjat ystäville (I give the books to friends). The allative plural can also express distributive or meliorative nuances in broader contexts. The term allatiivplural is primarily a linguistic label used in grammars and typological descriptions; in everyday Finnish, forms like taloille and ystäville are more common than the metalinguistic label.