Perinteellä

Perinteellä is the adessive singular form of the Finnish noun perinne, meaning tradition. In linguistic terms, it marks location or a basis on the concept of tradition. The form is used when describing something that is understood to be on or by means of tradition, though in modern everyday Finnish the meaning is often conveyed with other expressions such as perinteen mukaan or perinteisesti.

Usage and meaning

Perinteellä can express that an action, practice, or description rests on a tradition. It can convey a sense of continuity or a customary basis. In many contexts, however, speakers prefer phrases like perinteen mukaan (according to tradition) or perinteisesti (traditionally), which are more common and clearer in everyday speech. Perinteellä is more likely to appear in formal, historical, or stylistically specific texts where the author wants to emphasize the basis of tradition directly with the adessive form.

Relation to other forms

The noun perinne is declined through Finnish cases, with perinteellä specifically functioning as the adessive. Other related forms include perinteenä (essive: as a tradition) and perinteeksi (translative: as a tradition). The adessive form allows a link to surface or location meanings, but when the intention is to refer to tradition as a rule or guideline, perinteellä is often replaced by perinteen mukaan or perinteisesti for greater clarity.

Etymology and context

Perinne derives from Finnish roots for “tradition,” and the adessive suffix -llä attaches to indicate “on” or “on top of” the tradition in a figurative sense. Perinteellä appears mainly in contexts where the text explicitly frames something as grounded in tradition, while other constructions remain more common in everyday language.

See also: perinne, Finnish grammar, Finnish cases, perinteen mukaan, perinteisesti.