【芬兰语语法】§15.6 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Besides the case and personal endings dealt with above there are also certain

other (derivational) endings which cause consonant gradation, in particular

the ending -sti on adjectives (which forms adverbs from them), the

comparative ending -mpi (§85), and the superlative ending -in (§86). Note

also the semantically negative derivational ending -ton ~ -tön: koti ‘home’ :

kodi/ton ‘homeless’; palkka ‘salary’ : palka/ton ‘unsalaried’. (Cf. §93 for

more examples of derivational endings that trigger consonant gradation.)

Basic form Adverbs Comparative Superlative

kiltti kilti/sti kilti/mpi kilte/in

nice nicely nicer nicest

tarkka tarka/sti tarke/mpi tark/in

accurate accurately more accurate most accurate

helppo helpo/sti helpo/mpi helpo/in

easy easily easier easiest

38 Finnish: An Essential Grammar

The derivational endings undergo consonant gradation themselves when they

are inflected, for example the comparative -mpi: helpo/mma/ssa ‘in the

easier (one)’.

The stop consonants p, t, k do not undergo consonant gradation when

they occur next to s or t. The consonant k in the combination hk alternates

occasionally.

sk tasku pocket taskusta out of the pocket

sp piispa bishop piispat bishops

st piste point pisteet points

tk matka journey matkalla on the journey

hk keuhko lung keuhkot lungs

vihki- marry vihkitte you marry

Note: vihko notebook vihot notebooks

Note: nahka leather nahasta out of leather

Many loan words and proper names do not have consonant gradation. This is

particularly true of alternation types (4)–(16).

auto car autolla by car

Malta Malta Maltan of Malta

Kauko (masc. name) Kaukolle to Kauko

Arto (masc. name) Artolta from Arto