Nounivartti

Nounivartti is a Finnish term that can be translated as "noun variation" or "noun inflection." It refers to the grammatical process of changing the form of a noun to indicate its grammatical case, number, or sometimes gender. In Finnish, nouns are highly inflected, meaning they have many different forms depending on their function in a sentence.

The primary function of nounivartti is to show the relationship between a noun and other words in the sentence. This is achieved through a system of grammatical cases. Finnish has a large number of cases, typically around 15, each with its own distinct ending or change in the noun's stem. These cases convey information such as location (in, on, at), direction (to, from), possession, and the role of the noun as a subject, object, or instrument.

For example, the basic form of the noun "talo" (house) might change to "talossa" (in the house), "taloon" (into the house), or "talosta" (from the house). The number of a noun is also indicated through inflection, with singular and plural forms. While Finnish nouns do not have grammatical gender in the same way as some other languages, the concept of nounivartti encompasses all these necessary modifications to the noun's form to convey its grammatical role and context. Understanding nounivartti is crucial for constructing grammatically correct Finnish sentences.