vankilaan

Vankilaan is a Finnish illative form of the noun vankila, meaning prison. In Finnish grammar, the illative case marks movement into or toward something, so vankilaan literally means into or to the prison. The form is commonly used to indicate a destination in sentences describing entering or being sent to prison. The corresponding location form is vankilassa, meaning in prison.

Usage and examples: Vankilaan is frequently found in legal, news, and everyday language when describing actions that involve going to prison. Examples include sentences like “Hänet vietiin vankilaan” (He was taken to prison) and “Hänet tuomittiin vankilaan” (He was sentenced to prison). It contrasts with vankilassa, which means “in prison,” and with other cases such as vankilasta meaning “from the prison.”

Etymology and grammar: The illative form vankilaan is derived from the noun vankila (prison) and the Finnish illative suffix -an, which is used to express direction toward a place. Although the word vanki refers to a prisoner, vankilaan is typically associated with the prison as a destination rather than the person.

See also: Finnish illative case; vankila; vankilassa; vankilasta.