Tarvettain

Tarvettain is a rarely attested form in Finnish usage and is not considered part of standard modern Finnish. It appears in historical texts and some regional dialects, where it is generally understood as an adverb meaning “in a manner of necessity” or “out of necessity.” The word is thought to derive from tarve (need) with an archaic suffix that once formed adverbial expressions, a pattern observed in older Finnish literature and poetry.

Etymology and form are not firmly standardized, and attestations are limited. Because tarvettain never became a productive part of contemporary Finnish grammar, it is mainly encountered in archival material rather than in everyday speech. Its appearance is often described as archaic or dialectal, and it is frequently glossed in dictionaries as a historical or literary term rather than a living usage.

Usage and implications: in texts where tarvettain occurs, it typically modifies a verb or clause to indicate that the action is performed due to necessity rather than choice. In modern Finnish, the sense is usually conveyed by phrases such as tarpeen mukaan (as needed) or pakosta (by force/necessity), or by other adverbial constructions that express obligation or circumstance.

Examples:

- Tarvettain toimitettiin lisävaroja kaupungille. (Out of necessity, additional resources were delivered to the city.)

- Hän jatkoi työntekoa tarvettain, vaikka väsymys kasvoi. (He continued working out of necessity, despite growing fatigue.)

See also: tarve, tarpeellinen, tarpeen mukaan, välttämättömyys.