Edeltävälle

Edeltävälle is a Finnish grammatical form: the allative singular form of the adjective edeltävä, meaning "previous" or "preceding." It is used when the adjective modifies a noun in the allative case, indicating direction toward the referenced item.

Morphology and forms: The base adjective is edeltävä. In the allative singular, it becomes edeltävälle. For multiple nouns in the allative, the adjective takes the plural allative form edeltäville (e.g., edeltäville kappaleille).

Usage: In Finnish, adjectives agree with the noun in number and case. Therefore edeltävälle is used before a singular noun in the allative: edeltävälle kappaleelle (to the preceding paragraph). With plural nouns in the allative, the form is edeltäville: edeltäville kappaleille (to the preceding paragraphs). This construction is common in formal or technical writing to direct the reader to a prior element in a sequence, such as a section, page, paragraph, or item in a list.

Examples:

- Siirry edeltävälle sivulle. (Go to the preceding page.)

- Ohjeissa viitataan edeltävälle kappaleelle. (The instructions refer to the preceding paragraph.)

- Ohjeissa viitataan edeltäville kappaleille. (The instructions refer to the preceding paragraphs.)

Notes: Edeltävälle is not a standalone noun; it is a grammatical modifier that points to a previously mentioned element. The term is primarily encountered in Finnish texts that require precise cross-referencing to earlier material.

See also: Finnish grammar, allative case, adjective declension, edeltävä.