Tarvitsemalle

Tarvitsemalle is a Finnish form that appears to be a nonstandard or very rarely attested inflected form related to the verb tarvita, meaning “to need.” In standard Finnish, the closest and most commonly taught form to express the idea of “by needing” is tarvitsemalla, which is the third infinitive form ending in -malla/-mallä and used in adverbial constructions to indicate means or manner. The appearance of tarvitsemalle is not part of the conventional Finnish grammar taught in modern reference works and is not widely documented in contemporary usage.

Usage and interpretation

Because tarvitsemalle is not recognized as a standard form, its exact function can be ambiguous and is often uncertain outside of niche linguistic, historical, or dialect studies. When encountered in texts, it is commonly approached as either a nonstandard variant, a regional or historical spelling, or a potential misspelling of tarvitsemalla. In standard Finnish, to convey the intended meaning associated with “by needing” or “for the need”, grammars typically rely on tarvitsemalla or alternative phrasings that avoid the nonstandard form.

Relation to related forms

- Tarvita: the verb “to need.”

- Tarvitsemalla: the standard third infinitive form meaning “by needing.”

- The form debered as anchella or other dialectal variants is not widely documented in modern reference resources.

- In practice, tarvitsemalle should be treated with caution and, when aiming for standard Finnish, replaced by tarvitsemalla or rephrased for clarity.

See also

Finnish grammar, infinitives, tarvita, tarvitsemalla.