Saksalaiselta

Saksalaiselta is the elative singular form of the Finnish noun and adjective saksalainen, meaning “from a German” or “by a German” when referring to a person. The base saksalainen denotes a person of German nationality or origin, or the adjective sense “German.”

In Finnish grammar, saksalainen is declined like a regular first- or consonant stem noun/adjective. The elative form saksalaiselta marks the source or starting point in singular and is commonly used with people, for example: Kysyin saksalaiselta opettajalta (I asked a German teacher) or Sain vastauksen saksalaiselta kollegalta (I received a reply from a German colleague).

Usage of saksalaiselta often conveys origin or source in social or professional interactions. It can appear in discussions about persons, letters, statements, or data supplied by someone German, as in: Tutkimusperusteet perustuivat saksalaiselta tutkijalta saatuun dataan (The research basis relied on data received from a German researcher). While primarily referring to people, the form can appear in contexts that emphasize origin of information or contact.

Etymology: saksalainen is built from Saksa, the Finnish name for Germany, plus the derivational suffix -lainen to form a demonym or adjective meaning “a German.” The elative suffix -lta (or -ltä) denotes origin or source, yielding saksalaiselta for “from a German.”

See also: saksalainen, Saksa, elatiivi (elative case).