-Vn
Finnish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ːn/
Etymology 1
From -hVn where the -h- has been elided between unstressed short vowels.
Suffix
-Vn (V corresponds to the preceding vowel)
- Forms the illative singular case.
Usage notes
Used after an unstressed short vowel. The vowel is the same as the final vowel in the stem, thus producing a long vowel. The variant form after monosyllables and disyllables with final long vowel is -hVn.
- Examples
| word | (strong) vowel stem | illative |
|---|---|---|
| jalka | jalka- | jalkaan |
| miniä | miniä- | miniään |
| oikea | oikea- | oikeaan |
| tuli | tule- | tuleen |
Alternative forms
Depending on the preceding vowel (i.e. lengthens the preceding vowel):-an, -en, -in, -on, -un, -yn, -än, -ön
See also
- -hin
- -hVn
- -seen
- -siin
Etymology 2
From Proto-Finnic *-hen, from Proto-Uralic *-sen (third-person singular possessive suffix).
Suffix
-Vn (V corresponds to the preceding vowel)
- The shorter third-person possessive suffix.
Usage notes
Can always be replaced with -nsa, the longer third-person possessive suffix, but not the other way around. Specifically, -Vn can be used:
- when the vowel preceding -nsa is a short a, ä and e (general rule, but defers to the next two)
- for nominal inflections (including participles and adverbs derived from such), all cases except the nominative, genitive, illative and instructive
- for verbal inflections, the long 1st infinitive, the 2nd infinitive, and the 5th infinitive
Alternative forms
Depending on the previous vowel: -an, -en, -än.
Etymology 3
From the illative ending (etymology 1) attached directly to the verb stem.
Suffix
-Vn (V corresponds to the preceding vowel)
- (colloquial) Alternative form of -maan
Usage notes
- Example: ottaan = standard ottamaan.
- Originally a Tavastian dialectal characteristic, but nowadays can be encountered in urban "non-dialectal" speech.
See also
- -nsa