likaiselle

Likaiselle is a form found in Finnish grammar. It is the allative singular form of the adjective likainen, which means dirty. In Finnish, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify for case and number, so when the noun is in the allative case (indicating direction toward or a recipient of an action), the adjective also takes the allative ending. Therefore likaiselle is used to describe a noun that is in the allative, and means “to/for the dirty [one]” in that context.

Usage and examples

The primary role of likaiselle is to appear in phrases where both the noun and the adjective are in the allative. For example: Hän antoi likaiselle pojalle lahjan. (He gave a gift to the dirty boy.) In this example, both the noun (poika/pojalle) and the adjective (likainen) are inflected for the allative, yielding likaiselle pojalle. The plural form is likaisille, as in likaisille pojille (to the dirty boys).

Related forms

Beyond singular, the allative plural form of the adjective is likaisille, which pairs with the corresponding plural noun in the allative, e.g., likaisille pojille. Likainen itself is the base adjective; likaiselle is its inflected form for a specific grammatical case.

Context and note

Likaiselle is primarily encountered in grammatical description, instructional texts, or stylized language. In ordinary conversation, speakers typically avoid sharp descriptions of people as “dirty,” and the allative form is mainly a concern of grammar or formal usage.

See also

Allative case, Finnish adjective declension, Finnish grammar.