lapsenlapsilleni

Lapsenlapsilleni is a Finnish grammatical form meaning “to my grandchild.” It is formed by combining the noun lapsenlapsi (grandchild) with suffixes that indicate both possession and recipient. In Finnish, the first-person possessive suffix -ni marks “my,” and the allative suffix -lle marks direction toward or to someone. The resulting form expresses the recipient of an action, such as giving or telling something to one’s grandchild.

In use, lapsenlapsilleni (or the closely related lapsenlapselleni, depending on phonological variants) can appear in sentences that assign something to a grandchild. For example, Annan lahjan lapsenlapsilleni means “I am giving the gift to my grandchild.” The construction exemplifies a general Finnish pattern for indicating recipients through a combination of allative and possessive morphology.

Usage notes: This form is common in personal or family contexts and with verbs of transfer, such as giving, sending, or describing actions directed toward a grandchild. Finnish also provides analogous forms for other possessors and recipients, such as lapsenlapselleen (to his/her grandchild) or lapsenlapsellemme (to our grandchild). The exact spelling can vary slightly with speech, but the meaning remains the same: it specifies the beneficiary of an action as the speaker’s grandchild.

See also: Finnish grammar, allative case, possession suffixes.