katedraalin

Katedraalin is the genitive singular form of the Finnish noun katedraali, meaning cathedral. It is used to indicate possession or close association in noun phrases, such as katedraalin ovi (the cathedral’s door) or katedraalin arkkitehtuuri (the cathedral’s architecture).

In Finnish grammar, the genitive singular is formed by adding the suffix -n to the nominative form. For katedraali, this yields katedraalin. The plural genitive of katedraali is katedraalien, used when referring to multiple cathedrals (e.g., katedraalien ovet for “the cathedrals’ doors”).

Etymology traces katedraali to Latin cathedra, meaning chair or seat, via historical paths through Swedish and other languages. The term has become part of modern Finnish to denote large church buildings that serve as a diocese’s principal church or seat.

Usage notes: katedraalin appears in contexts relating to architecture, history, administration, and ecclesiastical matters when describing something associated with or belonging to a cathedral.

See also: katedraali, tuomiokirkko, cathedral (for cross-linguistic context).