The rule given above also covers vesi nominals. These are a group of words
with a basic form in -si and an inflectional stem in -te-.
To illustrate the inflectional stem not subject to consonant gradation let us
take the illative singular, e.g. vete/en ‘into the water’.
Inflectional stem followed by:
Basic Case (except partitive) Partitive Possessive
form Plural suffix
vesi water vete/en vet/tä ves/i/ssä vete/ni
käsi hand käte/en kät/tä käsi/ssä käte/ni
uusi new uute/en uut/ta uus/i/ssa –
viisi five viite/en viit/tä viis/i/ssä –
tosi true tote/en tot/ta tos/i/ssa –
kansi cover kante/en kant/ta kans/i/ssa kante/ni
varsi handle varte/en vart/ta vars/i/ssa varte/ni
In the partitive singular -e- is dropped if the preceding consonant is l, r,
or n; or t occurring after these or after a vowel.
In vesi nominals -si alternates with -te-; before the plural -i-, -te-
changes to -s-; -te- is subject to consonant gradation (§15).
The declension of nominals 49
No alternation Alternation
vete/nä as water +vede/n of the water
vete/en into the water +vede/t waters
vete/mme our water +vede/ssä in the water
vete/nne your water +vede/stä out of the water
vete/ni my water +vede/llä with water
