Kieli type nominals only differ from the kivi type in the partitive singular,
wher the -e- of the inflectional stem is dropped. Compare §18.2 and note the
partitive singular.
Inflectional stem followed by:
Basic form Case Plural Poss. Suffix
kieli language kiele/n kiel/i/ssä kiele/ni
veri blood vere/n ver/i/ssä vere/ni
meri sea mere/n mer/i/ssä mere/ni
tuli fire tule/n tul/i/ssa tule/ni
tuuli wind tuule/n tuul/i/ssa tuule/ni
ääni sound ääne/n ään/i/ssä ääne/ni
lumi snow lume/n lum/i/ssa lume/ni
uni dream une/n un/i/ssa une/ni
nuori young nuore/n nuor/i/ssa –
suuri great suure/n suur/i/ssa –
pieni small piene/n pien/i/ssä –
lapsi child lapse/n laps/i/ssa lapse/ni
Nominals with an inflectional stem ending in short -e have a basic form
ending in short -i.
48 Finnish: An Essential Grammar
Inflectional stem followed by:
Basic Case (except partitive)
form Partitive
kieli language kiele/n kiel/tä
veri blood vere/n ver/ta (Note: -ta)
meri sea mere/n mer/ta (Note: -ta)
tuli fire tule/n tul/ta
tuuli wind tuule/n tuul/ta
ääni sound ääne/n ään/tä
lumi snow lume/n lun/ta (Note: m ? n)
pieni small piene/n pien/tä
The -e of the inflectional stem is dropped before the partitive singular ending
only when it is preceded by certain consonants. The following rule holds:
