Kengälle

Kengälle is the allative singular form of the Finnish noun for “shoe.” In Finnish grammar, the allative case is marked with the suffix -lle and expresses direction toward or onto a location or recipient. Kengälle specifically denotes movement toward a shoe or placing something onto the shoe. The form appears in spatial descriptions and can occur in poetry or technical language; in everyday speech speakers more often use alternative constructions to convey direction.

Usage and function

The allative kengälle is used when the reference is a single shoe and the action is directed toward that shoe, such as describing movement toward it or placing an object onto it. Like other allative forms for different nouns, kengälle helps indicate a target or destination within a sentence without requiring a prepositional phrase.

Related forms

The base noun kengkä/kenkä has several related cases: kengän (genitive), kengässä (inessive, “in the shoe”), kengällä (adessive, “on the shoe”), and illative forms such as kenkään/kenkään (into the shoe). The allative kengälle is part of the broader Finnish case system, which uses suffixes to convey spatial and directional meaning.

Etymology

Kengälle is formed by attaching the allative suffix -lle to the stem of the noun for “shoe.” This pattern is common across Finnish, with phonological adjustments typical of the language’s case system.

See also

Finnish grammar; allative case; kenka/kenkä (shoe).