Possessiivista

Possessiivista is a term used in Finnish linguistics to describe the possessive form of nouns, i.e., the suffix system that marks ownership. In Finnish, possession is primarily expressed through possessive suffixes attached to the noun, rather than separate possessive pronouns in most contexts. The possessor’s person (first, second, or third) and number (singular or plural) are encoded in these suffixes, and the form of the suffix can be used with any noun.

The standard possessive suffixes are attached directly to the noun stem. Common forms include: -ni for first-person singular (my), -si for second-person singular (your), -nsä or -nsa for third-person possessors (his/her/its—or their—with context clarifying singular or plural), -mme for first-person plural (our), and -nne for second-person plural (your, plural). For example: taloni means “my house,” talosi means “your house,” talonsa means “his house” or “their house” depending on context, talomme means “our house,” and talonne means “your (plural) house.”

In practice, the third-person suffix -nsä/-nsä does not distinguish singular from plural possessors; the intended meaning is clarified by context or by adding a separate possessive pronoun such as hänen or heidän if needed. The possessive suffix can be used with most nouns, including proper nouns, and can combine with adjectives to form phrases like “my big house” (talo, taloni is not altered by adjectives in this simplified example).

Posessiivista forms are a central part of Finnish nominal morphology and are taught as part of the standard description of omistus (possession) in Finnish grammar. They interact with typical Finnish phonology and vowel harmony rules, and some stems may exhibit minor phonological adjustments when possessive suffixes attach.