adessiivse

The adessive, in Finnish adessiivi, is a locative grammatical case used to mark location at a surface or at a place, and it can also express means or accompaniment in certain expressions. It is one of Finnish’s locative cases and is typically formed with the suffix -lla or -llä, chosen according to vowel harmony.

Morphology and examples: To form the adessive in the singular, add -lla or -llä to the noun, with the choice guided by vowel harmony. Examples include pöytä → pöydällä (on the table) and talo → talolla (at the house). The adessive can also indicate means or accompaniment, as in kynä → kynällä (with a pen). In the plural, the suffix becomes -illa/-illä, e.g., pöydät → pöydillä (on the tables).

Functions and usage: The primary function of the adessive is to express static location—where something is located or where someone is staying. For example, Kissa on pöydällä means “The cat is on the table.” The adessive is also used to express instrumentality, such as Kirjoitan kynällä, “I write with a pen.” In some contexts it can denote “with,” “at,” or “in the sense of being at a place,” though it does not denote movement.

Movement versus location: The adessive describes a static location. Movement toward a surface or place uses the allative case, as in pöydälle (onto the table) rather than pöydällä (on the table).

Etymology and related terms: The term adessiivi derives from the Latin adessivus and is used in Finnish grammar to categorize this particular case. It is part of the broader set of Finnish cases used to express spatial and other relationships.