vesilähteellä

Vesilähteellä is a Finnish locative expression meaning “at the water source” or “by the spring.” It is formed from vesilähde, meaning water source, with the adessive suffix -llä, which marks location on or at a place. The phrase is typically used to describe where people fetch water, rest, or perform activities in a natural or rural setting.

Etymology and grammar: Vesilähde is a compound of vesi (water) and lähde (source, spring). When the adessive suffix -llä attaches to the compound, it becomes vesilähteellä, indicating a location on the surface of or at the water source. This form follows ordinary Finnish noun inflection rules for adessive case and can appear in both spoken and written Finnish.

Usage and nuance: In everyday language, vesilähteellä denotes a literal location—being at a spring or natural water source. It is also common in nature writing, travel descriptions, and folklore to evoke a traditional or rustic atmosphere. Examples include sentences like “Me menimme vesilähteelle hakemaan vettä” (We went to the water source to fetch water) or “Hänen laulunsa kantautui vesilähteellä” (Her song carried at the water source).

Toponymy and related terms: Vesilähteellä can function as a descriptive place name in local contexts, though it is not a standard proper noun without capitalization. Related terms include vesilähde (water source) and lähde (source, spring), as well as general discussions of the adessive case in Finnish grammar.

See also: vesilähde, lähde, vesi, adessive.