keskiluokkaa

keskiluokkaa is a Finnish linguistic form that functions as an accusative or adverbial case of the noun keskiluokka, meaning “middle class.” In ordinary Finnish, the accusative case for common nouns is identical to the nominative, so keskiluokkapronounces the same in both subject and object roles. However, the form keskiluokkaa is used when the noun modifies another noun or functions adverbially, often indicating belonging or affiliation. For example, in the sentence “Hän työskentelee keskiluokkaa” the phrase translates literally as “He works for the middle class,” meaning he works in a job typical of the middle tier of occupations. This usage is part of a broader pattern in Finnish where the genitive-like suffix –a makes a noun modify another noun or a verb, a construction that differs from the more common genitive -n.

The form appears mainly in colloquial speech and in literary prose to convey a sense of class or social stratum. Linguistically, it belongs to a set of special accusative forms used for animate nouns and participial phrases, such as vanhempaa (“parent/parent’s”) or ystävästä (“friend/due to a friend”). The suffix –a is historically derived from Proto-Finnic oblique cases and is preserved in several Baltic‑Finnish dialects. In contemporary standard Finnish, usage of keskiluokkaa is declining in written texts but remains present in spoken registers, especially in idiomatic expressions about class identity and social roles.