【芬兰语语法】§16 VOWEL CHANGES BEFORE -i- ENDINGS

 The second important group of sound alternations is the set of vowel changes

which often occur before certain endings beginning with -i. These endings

are:

In nominals In verbs

the plural -i- the past tense -i-

(sometimes -j-: see §26)

the superlative -in the conditional mood -isi

(of adjectives)

The vowel changes are often the same for all these endings, but there are also

some differences. Eight rules are given below. (Consonant gradation is

indicated by a prefixed ‘+’.)

(1) The short vowels -o, -ö, -u, -y (i.e. rounded vowels) do not change

before -i- endings.

Two important sound alternations 39

Basic form Plural Basic form Superlative

talo taloissa in the houses helppo helpoin easiest

pöllö pöllöille to the owls jörö jöröin crossest

katu +kaduilla on the streets hullu hulluin craziest

hylly hyllyissä in the shelves pidetty +pidetyin most liked

Basic form Past Conditional

sano- sanoi said sanoisi would say

löhö- löhöi lounged löhöisi would lounge

puhu- puhui spoke puhuisi would speak

pysähty- pysähtyi stopped pysähtyisi would stop

Basic form Plural Basic form Superlative

puu puita trees (part.) vapaa vapain most free

maa maissa in the countries vakaa vakain firmest

syy syiden of the reasons tervee- tervein healthiest

venee- veneistä out of the boats

perhee- perheissä in the families

Basic form Past Conditional

saa- sai got saisi would get

jää- jäi remained jäisi would remain

avaa- avasi opened avaisi would open

makaa- makasi lay (cf. §60) makaisi would lie

Basic form Plural

tie teillä on the roads (there are no adjectives)

tuo noissa in those

yö öitä nights (part.)

suo soista out of the marshes

työ töiden of the works

Basic form Past Conditional

vie- vei took veisi would take

juo- joi drank joisi would drink

syö- söi ate söisi would eat

tuo- toi brought toisi would bring

lyö- löi hit löisi would hit

(2) A long vowel shortens.

(3) The first vowel of the diphthongs ie, uo, yö is dropped.

40 Finnish: An Essential Grammar

Basic form Plural

hai ha/i/ssa in the sharks (there are no adjectives)

koi ko/i/ta moths (part.)

täi tä/i/den of the lice

Basic form Past Conditional

voi- vo/i could vo/isi would be able

ui- u/i swam u/isi would swim

nai- na/i married na/isi would marry

Basic form Plural Basic form Superlative

tuule- tuulia winds (part.) nuore- nuorin youngest

tule- tulia fires (part.) suure- suurin greatest

lapse- lapsilla ‘at’ the children uute- uusin newest

kiele- kielinä as languages

naise- naisille to the women

Basic form Past Conditional

tule- tuli came tulisi would come

mene- meni went menisi would go

ole- oli was olisi would be

hymyile- hymyili smiled hymyilisi would smile

teke- teki did tekisi would do

näke- näki saw näkisi would see

Basic form Plural Basic form Superlative

lasi laseissa in the glasses kiltti +kiltein nicest

tuoli tuoleilla on the chairs nätti +nätein prettiest

väri väreinä as colours

tunti +tunneilla in the lessons

(4) i is dropped in diphthongs ending in -i.

(5) Short e is always dropped.

(6) Short i changes to e before the plural and the superlative, but is

dropped before the past tense and the conditional.

Two important sound alternations 41

Basic form Past Conditional

salli- sall/i allowed sall/isi would allow

etsi- ets/i looked for ets/isi would look for

oppi- opp/i learned opp/isi would learn

vaati- vaat/i demanded vaat/isi would demand

Basic form Plural  Basic form Superlative

päivä päiviä days (part.) syvä syvin deepest

ystävä ystävillä ‘at’ the friends ikävä ikävin dullest

seinä seinien of the walls kylmä kylmin coldest

kylä kyliin into the villages märkä +märin wettest

hedelmä hedelmiä fruit (part.) hämärä hämärin dimmest

Basic form Past Conditional

vetä- veti pulled vetäisi would pull

kestä- kesti lasted kestäisi would last

kiittä- kiitti thanked kiittäisi would thank

viettä- vietti spent viettäisi would spend

tietä- tiesi knew tietäisi would know

Contrary to this rule, in some three-syllable nouns -ä changes in the plural to

-ö, e.g. when the only vowel of the preceding syllable is i: kynttilä, kynttilö/

i/tä ‘candles (part.)’; tekijä, tekijö/i/tä ‘makers (part.)’; päärynä, päärynö/i/

ssä ‘in the pears’.

Basic form Conditional

anta- antaisi would give

otta- ottaisi would take

sata- sataisi would rain

muista- muistaisi would remember

alka- alkaisi would begin

(7) The vowel ä is dropped except in the conditional.

(8) The vowel a remains unchanged in the conditional and is dropped in

the superlative. In the plural and past tense of two-syllable words a

changes to o if the first vowel is a, e or i, but is dropped if the first

vowel is u or o.

42 Finnish: An Essential Grammar

Basic form Superlative

kova kovin hardest

vahva vahvin strongest

tarkka +tarkin most accurate

vanha vanhin oldest

matala matalin lowest

Basic form Plural Basic form Past

matka matkoilla on the journeys alka- alkoi began

kirja kirjoissa in the books anta- antoi gave

sana sanoilla with words sata- satoi rained

piha pihoilla in the yards kaata- kaatoi fell

herra herrojen of the masters raata- raatoi toiled

Basic form Plural Basic form Past

koira koirien of the dogs otta- otti took

poika poikien of the boys muista- muisti remembered

muna munia eggs (part.) osta- osti bought

kuuma kuumissa in the hot huuta- huusi shouted

In nouns with three or more syllables -a either changes to -o or is dropped;

sometimes both changes may be possible. The change to -o occurs in

particular when (a) the only vowel of the preceding syllable is i; (b) -a is

preceded by a short l, n or r; or (c) -a is preceded by two consonants.

(a) lukija lukijoiden of the readers

apina apinoilla ‘at’ the monkeys

pakina pakinoissa in the columns

vakoilija vakoilijoille to the spies

(b) omena omenoita apples (part.)

ikkuna ikkunoissa in the windows

tavara tavaroita things (part.)

kampela kampeloita flounders (part.)

(c) kirsikka +kirsikoihin into the cherries

vasikka +vasikoille to the calves

sanonta sanontojen of the expressions

jalusta jalustoilla on the pedestals

In the plural forms of other nouns of three or more syllables, and of nearly all

adjectives, and also in the past tense of verbs with three or more syllables, -a

is dropped.

kanava kanavissa in the canals

korkea korkeiden of the high

sanoma sanomia messages (part.)

ainoa ainoissa in the only

Two important sound alternations 43

vaikea vaikeita difficult (part.)

ihana ihania lovely (part.)

kamala kamalia frightful (part.)

matkusta- matkusti travelled

pohjusta- pohjusti founded