essivo

Essivo, also called the essive, is a grammatical case found in several Finnic languages. It marks a temporary state or the role of a noun, roughly translating to English as “as” or “in the capacity of.” The essive is used to describe someone or something in a specific condition, function, or role, often with a copular or stative verb.

In Finnish, the essive forms a temporary state with suffixes such as -na or -nä, used with nouns to express “as a …” For example, Hän toimii opettajana means “He/She works as a teacher.” This usage highlights a state or role rather than a permanent identity. Finnish also has related cases that express location or direction, which contrasts with the essive’s sense of states of being.

In Estonian, the corresponding formation serves a similar function, marking a temporary state or role, as in Ta töötab õpetajana, “He/She works as a teacher.” The exact morphological realization can differ between languages, but the general function remains to express “in the state of” or “in the capacity of.”

The essivo contrasts with other cases that convey different relationships, such as the inessive (inside a location) or the translative (becoming something). It is most prominent in Finnic languages and is sometimes extended to related Uralic languages with similar functions.

See also: inessive, translative.