Syntypaikassa

Syntypaikassa is a Finnish noun form meaning “in the birthplace.” It is the inessive case (the at/in location form) of the noun syntypaikka, which translates as “birthplace.” As a grammatical form, syntypaikassa denotes location rather than a concept by itself.

Etymology and morphology: syntypaikka is a compound of synty, meaning birth, and paikka, meaning place. The inessive suffix -ssa/-ssä yields syntypaikassa, signaling location “in the birthplace.” Because Finnish nouns inflect for case, syntypaikka can occur in various cases, with syntypaikassa specifically used to indicate being located at or within the birthplace.

Usage: Syntypaikassa is mainly encountered in written Finnish, particularly in genealogical, biographical, or historical prose that discusses places of birth. It is part of standard Finnic grammar and illustrates how compound location words behave under the inessive case. In ordinary speech, speakers may use more general expressions or avoid drawing explicit attention to the locative form, but syntypaikassa remains correct in formal contexts.

Related terms: The more common noun for the concept is syntymäpaikka, also meaning birthplace. Both forms are used to describe places of birth, with syntypaikka preferring the compound structure and syntymäpaikka being a direct, widely understood alternative.

See also: Finnish grammar, inessive case, syntymäpaikka, birthplace, toponymy.