pelillä

Pelillä is the adessive singular form of peli, the Finnish noun meaning “game” or “play.” In Finnish grammar, the adessive case (-llä) marks location on or at something, or the instrument or means by which an action is performed, and can also indicate accompaniment. Pelillä is formed by attaching the adessive suffix to the stem peli, resulting in pelillä. The exact semantic role of pelillä depends on the surrounding context, and it is most often encountered in written or descriptive language.

In usage, pelillä can denote a relationship where the game acts as a surface, context, or medium for an action, or where something is associated with a particular game. It contrasts with pelissä, the inessive form meaning “in the game” or “inside the game.” Because the adessive expresses means or location, pelillä tends to appear in more specialized or descriptive language rather than in everyday speech.

Etymology and form: pelillä is derived from peli plus the Finnish adessive suffix -llä, with the orthography reflecting the standard phonological pattern of combining -ll- with the ä ending. The form is part of the broader system of case endings that Finnish uses to convey spatial and instrumental relationships.

See also: Finnish grammar; Adessive case; Peli.