Kaltaiselta

Kaltaiselta is a Finnish word meaning "like," "similar to," or "resembling." It is part of the kalta- family of words used to express likeness and to build similes. The form kaltaiselta is a case-inflected version that appears in predicative and comparative constructions, with the exact meaning shaped by the surrounding sentence and the noun or pronoun it connects to.

In usage, kaltaiselta functions to signal resemblance rather than exact identity. It is commonly employed in sentences that compare something to another thing, person, or situation. The expression often follows a verb of perception or description, such as tuntuu, vaikuttaa, or kuulostaa, to indicate that something feels, seems, or sounds like another thing. The core idea is qualitative similarity, not precise equivalence, and kaltaiselta can introduce a range of nuanced comparisons depending on context.

Morphologically, kaltaiselta derives from the stem kalta- and takes case endings to fit the sentence structure. It is closely related to other forms in the kaltais- family, such as kaltainen (the base form meaning "such as," "like") and other inflected variations like kaltaisina, kaltaiselta, or kaltaiseltaan in different contexts. The choice of form reflects grammatical role and emphasis within the sentence.

Etymologically, the word originates from kalta- meaning "of the same kind" and has developed through Finnish inflection to support flexible comparisons in natural language. Kaltaiselta is a common, standard element in Finnish, widely used across formal and colloquial registers.

See also: kaltainen, kaltaisuus, kaltaiset.