toukokuuta

Toukokuuta is the partitive singular form of the Finnish month name toukokuu, the month of May. In Finnish, month names are declined; the nominative form is toukokuu, the genitive is toukokuun, and the partitive is toukokuuta. The form toukokuuta is most commonly seen in date expressions and with cardinal numbers, such as kolmas toukokuuta (the third of May) or in written dates written as 3. toukokuuta 2020.

Etymology and meaning: the month name toukokuu is a compound of touko, referring to flowering or bloom, and kuu, meaning month. The combination conveys the sense of a month of blossoming, aligning with May as a springtime period in Finland.

Usage notes: toukokuuta is specifically used after numerals and in fixed date phrases. It contrasts with toukokuu, the basic or nominative form used in general references to the month, and toukokuun, the genitive form used in possessive constructions or to indicate “of May.” Finnish dates are often written in the format day, month in partitive, and year, for example 3. toukokuuta 2024.

Context: May marks late spring in Finland, with increasingly longer daylight and warming weather. The month includes traditional celebrations such as Vappu on May 1, and often features Mother's Day in May, depending on the year. The term toukokuuta is primarily encountered in grammatically declined expressions rather than as a standalone lexical item.

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