elatiivvariandid

Elatiivivariant, or elative variant, is the form of a word when it is used with the elative case in languages that mark origin or source morphologically. The elative signals movement away from a location, or that something comes from that place. The concept is especially important in Finnic languages such as Finnish and Estonian, which have explicit elative forms, but also appears in other languages with robust case systems.

Formation. In Finnish, the elative singular typically ends with sta or stä, chosen according to vowel harmony; examples include talosta from talo (house) and kissasta from kissa (cat). The elative attaches to the word’s stem and interacts with standard phonological processes. In Estonian, the elative generally uses the suffix -st, as in majast “from the house” and kassist “from the cat.”

Usage. The elative is used with verbs of motion or origin and in noun phrases describing source material, cause, or starting point. It contrasts with the illative (into), allative (onto), and other cases that express different spatial or semantic relations. In some contexts, the elative also yields figurative meanings, such as “from a tradition” or “made of wood” when combined with appropriate adjectives or nouns.

Variants and variations. Some nouns admit irregular elative forms in dialects, and certain words show phonological alternations depending on the surrounding sounds. Historical and comparative linguistics study elative variants to understand language change and proto-language relationships.

See also: case, Finnish language, Estonian language, illative, genitive.