Potilaasta

Potilaasta is the elative singular form of the Finnish noun potilas, meaning "patient." The elative case expresses origin or source, so potilaasta translates to "from the patient." In medical and clinical language it is used to refer to information, materials, or statements that originate from the patient, as opposed to those coming from other sources.

Grammatical notes: The elative suffix -sta/-stä attaches to the stem potilas, producing potilaasta. The form is used with verbs and noun phrases that describe origin, such as potilaasta saadut tiedot (information obtained from the patient), potilaasta kerätty historia (history collected from the patient), or potilaasta otettu näyte (a sample taken from the patient). It is distinct from the genitive potilaan (the patient’s) and from the partitive potilasta.

Usage considerations: In clinical documentation potilaasta helps attribute data or specimens to the patient and to distinguish information from other sources. The elative case is common in Finnish medical style and appears in everyday language when discussing origins or sources related to the patient.

Related forms: The corresponding non-elative forms include potilas (the patient, base form), potilaan (genitive, the patient’s), and potilasta (partitive, a patient/an indefinite patient). The elative potilaasta should be distinguished from these forms by its sense of origin or source rather than possession or direct object.