Perussanalle

Perussanalle is a term used in Finnish linguistics to refer to the allative inflection of a base word, typically illustrated rather than as a standard lexical item. The construction combines the base word concept with the allative suffix, and is discussed in some grammars as a convenient label for showing how a base word can participate in allative constructions. It is not a common everyday word, but a descriptive shorthand in analyses of Finnish morphology.

Etymology and form: The term is built from perus- meaning base, sana meaning word, and -lle, the Finnish allative suffix used to express direction toward or reference to a recipient. Thus perussanalle can be understood as “to the base word” in a morphological sense, illustrating how the base form would be marked when treated as the recipient or goal of an action in a sentence.

Usage and context: Perussanalle appears primarily in academic explanations, teaching materials, and descriptive grammars that model inflectional patterns in Finnish. It helps students and researchers discuss the interaction between a base form and case-like markers without committing to a specific lexical item. Because Finnish morphology is rich in case and directional suffixes, such labels can clarify analysis, though they are not standard entries in most dictionaries.

Relation to other concepts: The term relates to lemmas or base forms (perussana or perusmuoto) and to inflectional categories such as the allative case. It complements discussions of derivational morphology and word formation, offering a concrete example of how base words can be analyzed in directional constructions.

See also: Finnish morphology, allative case, perusmuoto, inflectional suffixes.

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