General rule: Whenever one of the three hard consonants, =k=, =t=, =p=,
is found at the beginning of a naturally short and open syllable (that
is, one ending in a simple vowel) which becomes closed (that is, ends in
a consonant) owing to the addition of a suffix, then the hard consonant
is softened or rejected[6].
It must be observed that some syllables which are apparently open are
treated in grammar as being closed, because they end with the aspiration.
This aspiration, though hardly heard except in dialects, generally
represents an original consonant (_v._ the rules respecting the formation
of the Imperative, Infinitives I and II, and passive).
This curious rule of the softening of consonants pervades the whole
Finnish language and is one of its distinguishing features. The addition
of a final letter to a syllable necessitates a certain effort in order to
sound it accurately, and in order to compensate for the difficulty thus
added at the end the pronunciation of the first letter is made easier. It
is indeed clear that it is easier to say =kukan= than =kukkan=, if both
=k=’s are carefully pronounced; but an English mouth does not find it
easier to say =revin= than =repin=. But it must be remembered that the
Finnish language is extraordinarily susceptible in regard to consonants.
Mouths which are incapable of pronouncing two consonants at the beginning
of a word must have to struggle with difficulties in pronunciation which
we are quite incapable of understanding. It must also be remembered that
simple consonants are pronounced exceedingly lightly, so that their
disappearance is easier than it would be, were they sounded as strongly
as in our language.
=K.=
=25.= (1) =kk= becomes =k=. That is to say, when the final syllable of
=kukka=, _flower_, becomes closed by the addition of =n=, one of the
=k=’s is dropped, and we have =kukan= for =kukkan=. So =kirkko=,
=kirkossa=.
=26.= (2) =nk= becomes =ng=. =Aurinko=, _sun_, forms the genitive
=auringon=. =Kaupunki=, _town_, =kaupungin=.
=27.= (3) =lk=, =rk= become simply =l=, =r=, but if followed by =e=,
=lj=, =rj=. For example, =jalka=, _a foot_, genitive =jalan=; =märkä=,
_wet_, genitive =märän=; =kulke=, _leave_, =kuljen=, _I leave_; =särke=,
_break_, =särjen=, _I break_.
=hk= generally becomes simply =h=, but may remain unchanged; =tuhka=,
_ash_, genitive =tuhan=, but sometimes =tuhkan=; =sähkö=, _electricity_,
genitive =sähön=. In old Finnish such forms as =tuhvan= are found.
=28.= (4) Between two vowels =k= generally is lost altogether when the
syllable is closed; =tako=, _forge_, =taon=, _I forge_; =vika=, _a fault_,
genitive =vian=.
If the =k= is preceded by a diphthong ending in =i= or by simple =i=, a
=j= is developed when =k= falls out: thus =aika=, _time_, =poika=, _boy_,
=ikä=, _life_, make =ajan=, =pojan=, =ijän=. Similarly when =k= falls
out between two =u=’s or two =y=’s, a =v= is developed, at any rate in
pronunciation. The orthography varies between =uu= and =uvu=, but the
latter is generally adopted when there is any ambiguity, e.g. =puvun=,
from =puku=, _clothes_, not =puun=, because this is liable to be confused
with =puun=, the genitive of =puu=, _a tree_; =suvun= from =suku=, _a
family_; but =suun= from =sun=, _a month_; =luvun= from =luku=, _a
number_, but =luun= from =luu=, _a bone_.
=29.= (5) =sk=, =tk= remain unchanged, =lasku=, =laskun=, =itku=,
=itkun=.
=T.=
=30.= (1) =tt= becomes =t=, =opetta=, _teach_, =opetan=, _I teach_.
=31.= (2) =lt=, =rt=, =nt= become =ll=, =rr=, =nn=. =Pelto=, _field_,
=pellon=; =parta=, _beard_, =parran=; =kanta=, _base_, =kannan=.
=32.= (3) After a vowel or =h=, =t= becomes =d=. =Pata=, _pot_, =padan=;
=tahto=, _wish_, =tahdon=[7].
=P.=
=33.= (1) =pp= becomes =p=. =Pappi=, _priest_, =papin=.
=34.= (2) =mp= becomes =mm=, stem =kovempa=, _harder_, =kovemman=.
=35.= (3) In other cases =p= becomes =v=. =Lepo=, _rest_, =levon=;
=repi=, _tear_, =revin=; =halpa=, _cheap_, =halvan=.
=36.= N.B.—This softening of =k=, =t=, =p=, takes place if in a
polysyllabic radical one of them is the first letter of a syllable
whose vowel forms a diphthong with the =i= of the plural. =Harakka=,
_magpie_, =harakoita=; =aurinko=, =auringoita=, _sun_; =palkinto=,
=palkinnoita=, _reward_.
These rules for the weakening of consonants are rigorously observed
throughout the language, with the one exception that the addition of
the pronominal suffixes produces no change in a word. Though =tapa + n=
becomes =tavan=, =tapa + nsa= remains =tapansa=.