kasvulla

Kasvulla is the adessive singular form of the Finnish noun kasvu, meaning growth. In Finnish grammar, the adessive case marks location on or at something, or a state related to a thing. Therefore, kasvulla literally translates to “on growth” or “at growth.” The form is created by adding the suffix -lla to the stem of kasvu, producing kasvulla from kasvu.

Usage of kasvulla is relatively limited in everyday language. It tends to appear in formal, technical, or literary contexts where growth is treated as a tangible surface or axis in a metaphorical sense. In common prose and speech, speakers more often use other constructions such as kasvussa (in growth) to express a state of growth, or kasvuun/kasvulle to indicate direction toward growth or a growth target.

Because Finnish has a rich case system, kasvulla can occur in various syntactic patterns that rely on the adessive meaning. When choosing between kasvulla, kasvussa, or kasvulle, the speaker selects based on nuance: whether the emphasis is on location at growth, being in a growth state, or moving toward growth.

See also: Kasvu, Finnish grammar, Adessive case.