laskurilla

Laskurilla is the adessive form of the Finnish noun laskuri, which denotes a device used for counting or calculating. The term laskuri can refer to a handheld calculator, a mechanical or electronic counter, or a counting device in various contexts. When used as laskurilla, it expresses the instrument or means by which an action is performed, roughly translating to “with a calculator” or “using a counter.”

Etymology and grammar: Laskuri comes from lasku, meaning calculation or counting, with the agentive suffix -ri. The adessive case -lla/-llä marks the instrument or location. Thus laskurilla indicates that counting or calculation is done with a laskuri, or more broadly with a counting device. In everyday Finnish, laskurilla commonly appears in practical contexts to describe methods of calculation or measurement, as well as in technical writing where counters or counting components are discussed.

Usage and meanings: The word can refer to both a calculator and a counter, depending on context. In mathematics and everyday tasks, one might say that a result was obtained “laskurilla.” In electronics or programming, laskuri can mean a digital counter, with laskurilla indicating the use of that counter as a measuring or counting instrument. It is common to contrast laskuri with laskin, where laskin typically refers to a handheld calculator for arithmetic, whereas laskuri leans toward counting devices or software-based counters in more technical contexts.

See also: laskin, laskuri, adessive case in Finnish grammar.