käändeklassi

A käändeklass is a grammatical concept primarily found in some Finnic languages, notably Estonian. It refers to a group of nouns that share similar patterns of declension, meaning they change their form in predictable ways when taking on different grammatical cases. Instead of each noun having a unique set of endings for each case, nouns are categorized into käändeklassid, and all nouns within a specific class will generally follow the same rules for case marking. This system simplifies the grammar of the language by reducing the number of irregular forms and providing a more systematic approach to noun inflection.

The number of käändeklassid can vary between Finnic languages, but they serve the same fundamental purpose: to organize noun declension. For example, in Estonian, there are typically considered to be several main käändeklassid, each characterized by the way its stem is modified or the specific set of case endings it employs. Understanding these classes is crucial for both native speakers and learners of the language to correctly form nouns in different grammatical contexts, such as the genitive, partitive, or illative cases. The concept helps to create regularity and predictability within the often complex inflectional systems of these languages.