【芬兰语语法】§18.4 VESI NOMINALS

 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