Elativeselitys

Elativeselitys is a term used in Finnish linguistics to describe the explanation and description of the elative case. The elative is a grammatical case found in languages such as Finnish and other Finnic languages, marking origin, source, or movement away from a location. Elativeselitys encompasses the functions of the elative, its typical forms, and how it interacts with other grammatical elements.

The word combines elatiivi (elative) and selitys (explanation) in Finnish. In practical grammar, the elative signals the source or starting point of a movement, as well as origin or material from which something is derived. In Finnish, this meaning is usually expressed through a suffix, and it can appear with nouns that indicate places or sources. Common examples include talosta (from the house), vedestä (from the water), and Suomesta (from Finland). In sentences, the elative answers questions like where from or from what origin something comes, for example: Hän lähti talosta. Olen Suomesta.

Morphology and semantics often highlight the elative as distinct from other location-related cases, such as the illative (into) or the ablative. The elative may also interact with postpositions in some languages or dialects that lack a dedicated case suffix. Elativeselitys thus plays a role in teaching and documenting how origin, source, and movement away from a reference point are encoded, and it helps distinguish the elative’s usage from related spatial or source expressions.