The inessive, elative, and illative are sometimes called the interior
cases, because they express existence in and motion from or to the
interior of an object. The adessive, ablative, and allative, on the other
hand, are called the external cases, because they indicate rest on and
motion from or into the exterior surface of an object. However, this
distinction is not always kept up in the use of the cases, and the choice
of the interior or exterior case in a given phrase seems often to be
regulated by idiom or caprice, rather than by a reference to the original
meaning.
_Inessive._
I. The proper meaning of this case is existence in an object. =Mies istuu
tuvassa=, _the man sits in the hut_. =Parempi kala suussa kuin haava
päässä=, _a fish in the mouth is better than a wound in the head_. =Vene
kulkee vedessä=, _the boat moves in the water_. Here the inessive is
used, because, though motion is indicated, it is motion _within_ a given
space, and not to or from a given point.
There is much irregularity as to the use of the exterior and interior
cases of local proper names, (1) Names ending in =la= always take the
interior cases for euphony. =Urjalassa=, not =Urjalalla=. (2) Names of
countries not ending in =maa=, and foreign names generally take the
interior cases; but the word =Venäjä=, _Russia_, is always used in the
forms =Venäjällä=, =-ltä=, =-lle=. (3) Names of countries ending in =maa=
are generally used in the exterior cases, but the interior cases are used
in speaking of things being found in the country. =Olin Saksanmaalla=, _I
was in Germany_, but =Saksamaassa on paljo sotamiehiä=, _there are many
soldiers in Germany_. But =Suomenmaa=, _Finland_, is always used in the
interior cases.
Besides this strict use, the inessive is employed in a variety of
expressions either metaphorically or in a loose local sense. Most of
such phrases are quite obvious, and can be rendered in English by the
preposition ‘in.’
II. It is used to express the time within which anything occurs.
=Viidessä viikossa=, _in five weeks_. =Valmistuuko työ kahdessa
päivässä=, _finish the work in two days_. =Pietarista Hatsinaan voi
matkustaa puolessa toista tunnissa=, _one can go from Petersburg to
Gatchina in an hour and a half_.
III. From expressing the place in which the subject is, it is used by a
natural transition to express the surroundings, state, or condition of
anything. Thus it is employed in speaking of the weather. =Olin ulkona
tuulessa ja sateessa=, _I was out in the wind and rain_. =Minä ajoin
hevosella lumessa ja tuiskussa=, _I drove in a snow storm_.
Also in a number of metaphorical expressions. =Olla eksyksissä=, _to
be in error_; =olla hyvässä kunnossa=, _to be in good condition_;
=olla hyvässä turvassa=, _to be safe_; =olla hyvissä voimissa=, _to be
prosperous_. =Te olette oikeassa ja minä olen väärässä=, _you are right
and I am wrong_. =Olen ollut pari tuntia kovassa päänkivistyksessä=,
_I had a violent headache for a couple of hours_. =Kello on
epäjärjestyksessä=, _the watch is out of order_. =Siinä tapauksessa=, _in
that case_. =Kaikki on mieli melkeässä, Ajatukset arvoisessa= (Kal. v.
177).
IV. In a number of expressions the inessive is used where the adessive
would seem more natural to express close connection between two objects,
particularly in the case of one thing being fixed or hung on another.
=Kala on ongessa=, _the fish is on the hook_. =Takki on naulassa=, _the
coat is hung on the nail_. =Pitäkää hattu päässä=, _keep your hat on your
head_. =Hänellä ei ollut saappaita jalassa=, _he had no boots on his
feet_.
V. It also expresses the occupation in which one is engaged. =Poika on
työssä=, _the boy is at work_. Cf. =Olla pidoissa=, =häissä=, _to be at a
banquet_ or _marriage_. Notice such idiomatic phrases as =olla kalassa=,
_to be fishing_; =olla heinässä=, _to be making hay_; =olla marjassa=,
_to collect berries_. It is noticeable that the verb =käydä=, _to go to_,
or _frequent_, is generally followed by the inessive. =Käydä kirkossa=,
_to go to church_; =käydä katsomassa=, _to go to sea_.
VI. It is also used to express that an object is covered or soiled with
some liquid. =Nenänsä on veressä=, _his nose is bleeding_. =Silmät ovat
vesissä=, _the eyes are full of tears_. =Sinun otsas hiessä pitää sinun
syömän leipää=, _in the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread_. Cf. also
the expression =Järvi on jäässä=, _the lake is frozen_.
VII. It is used to express that certain qualities reside in a man.
=Hänessä on jaloutta=, _he is noble_ (_nobility is in him_). =Sinussapajo
onkin koko mies=, _you are a man worth the name_. =Ei ole lapsessa heinän
niittäjätä=, _a child cannot be a haycutter_. =Teissä on kuume=, _you are
feverish_.
_Elative._
As the inessive expresses properly rest in something, so the elative
expresses motion from the interior of something. Many of its uses
correspond to those of the inessive already described.
I. The strict literal use is to denote motion from an interior. =Mies
lähti tuvasta=, _the man went out of the hut_. =Lohi hyppäsi merestä=,
_the salmon leapt out of the sea_. =Metsästäjä tuli kotia metsästä=, _the
huntsman came home from the forest_. =Kaatakaa olut pullosta lasiin=,
_pour the beer out of the bottle into the glass_.
II. In expressing time, the elative is used to denote the beginning of
a period—that is to say, the period is regarded as setting forth from
a given date. =Pääsiäisestä on seitsemän viikkoa Helluntaihin=, _from
Easter to Whitsuntide is seven weeks_. =Eilisestä illasta alkaen=, _since
last night_. =Me läksimme matkaan aamusta=, _we set out in the morning_
(beginning from the morning). =En ole nähnyt häntä Joulusta saakka=, _I
have not seen him since Christmas_. =Siitä hetkestä=, _from that hour_.
III, IV, V, VI. In all such expressions as those quoted under these
headings for the inessive, the elative can be used when cessation _from_
an occupation or condition, or purification _from_ any defilement is to
be expressed. =Tulin kotiin tuiskusta ja tuulesta=, _I came home from
the snow and wind_. =Kadota silmistä, näkyvistä=, _to disappear from
view_. =Päästä pulasta=, _to get out of difficulties_. =Poika oti lakin
päästänsä=, _the boy took the cap off his head_. =Pese nenäsi verestä=,
_wash the blood off your nose_. =Pyyhi silmäsi kynelistä=, _dry your
eyes_. =Järvi lähti jäästä=, _the lake became free of ice_. =Tulla pois
työn teosta=, =kalasta=, _to cease working_ or _fishing_.
VII. The elative is also used by a natural transition to express
separation or difference from. =Minun on vaikea päästä virasta vapaakai=,
_it is hard for me to get away from my work_. =Mies ei saa luopua
vaimostansa=, _a man cannot be separated from his wife_. =Lätin kieli on
kokonaan eroavainen Suomen kielestä=, _the Lettish language is perfectly
different from Finnish_.
Besides these uses, which are parallel with those of the inessive, the
elative has a variety of other significations. These mostly arise in
a quite intelligible manner, from the idea of motion from, taken in a
metaphorical sense.
VIII. In many phrases the elative is used almost like the partitive, that
is to say, it denotes one or more persons or things taken or selected
from a number. =Nuorin veljistä=, _the youngest of the brothers_.
=Urhoollisin sotilaista=, _the bravest of the warriors_. =Laatokka on
suurin Europan järvistä=, _Ladoga is the largest lake in Europe_. =Yksi
näistä vaimoista=, _one of these women_.
There is, however, a slight difference in the meaning of the elative and
partitive in such expressions, inasmuch as the former always implies a
certain part of a given quantity which is in the mind of the speaker.
Thus one says =kolme sisarta=, _three sisters_, a merely numerical
expression. But =kolme sisaristani= means _three of my sisters_. So
=naula voita= means _a pound of butter_; but =naula voista=, _a pound of
the butter_, referring to a particular kind or mass of butter.
IX. From denoting the starting-point, the elative is used to express
the origin or cause of anything, or the material from which a thing is
made. =Kuolla myrkystä=, _to die of poison_. =Hän puhisi vihasta=, _he
snorted from anger_. =Poika oli kylmästä köntistyneenä=, _the boy was
numb with cold_. =Tyhjästä loi Jumala maailman=, _God created the world
from Chaos_. =Hänestä tuli kelpo sotilas=, _he made a good soldier_.
=Ei lapsesta laulajaksi=, _a child can’t be a singer_ (proverb). =Hän
on hyvästä perheestä=, _he is of good family_. =Sanasta sana syntyy,
kypenestä maa kytee=, _one word gives birth to another, and the
world catches fire from a spark_. =Sormus on tehty kullasta=, _the
ring is made of gold_. =Munan kuori on kovasta aineesta=, _the shell
of an egg is of a hard substance_. =Venäjän valtio on kokoonpantu
monenlaisista kansallisuuksista=, _the Russian empire is composed of many
nationalities_.
In this sense it is often used to denote the object, particularly with
words denoting speaking or some feeling. For instance, =puhua asiasta=,
_to speak of a thing_, the thing being regarded as the point from
which a conversation is started. =Kiitoksia kysymästänne=, _thanks for
your question_. =Siitä voitte olla varma=, _you may be sure of it_.
=Mitä pidätte Suomen kielestä?= _How do you like Finnish?_ =En välitä
kenestäkään=, _I don’t care for anybody_. =Älkää surko huomisesta
päivästä=, _take no thought for the morrow_.
N.B.—There is a curious use of =minusta= to denote ‘in my opinion, as far
as I am concerned.’
X. Somewhat similar is the use of the elative in expressions denoting
price. The Finnish idiom is to say =möin kirjan markasta=, _I sold the
book for a mark_; =ostin kirjan markasta=, _I bought the book for a
mark_; and =sain markan kirjasta=, _I received a mark for the book_. That
is to say, ‘I bought a book from a mark,’ the price being regarded as
the origin of the transaction. =Mitä tahdotte viikossa tästä huoneesta?=
_how much do you want per week for this room?_ =Silmä silmästä ja hammas
hampaasta=, _an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth_. =Kauppamies on
myönyt tavaransa kalliista=, _the merchant sold his goods dear_.
XI. The elative is used to express the object in which any one is rich
or poor. =Rikas rahasta=, _rich in money_, that is to say, money is
regarded as the cause of the riches. =Kaivo on tyhjä vedestä=, _the well
is empty of water_. =Huoneet olivat täydet väestä=, _the rooms were full
of people_.
XII. The elative is also used in a variety of expressions, in which the
cause or commencement of an action is emphasized by an idiom different
to our own. Thus one says, not to seize by the ear, but from the ear,
=pitää korvasta=; =sidottu käsistä ja jaloista=, _bound hand and foot_.
=Damokleen miekka riippui hivuskarvasta=, _the sword of Damocles hung by
a hair_, and metaphorically, =saada kiini rikoksesta=, _to convict of
crime_. =Sanasta miestä, sarvesta härkää= (proverb), _a man is held by
his words and an ox by the horns_.
By an idiom of the language verbs denoting to find, or seek, and also
often verbs of seeing and hearing, are followed by an elative where we
should use an expression implying rest in a place. =Mistä hänen löysit?=
_where did you find him?_ =Milloin hyvänsä tuli huoneesen, tapasi hänen
aina lukemasta=, _whenever one went into the room, one always found him
reading_.
The elative comes to be used much as the accusative of respect in
Latin, to mark the part in which anything is affected. =Mies on kipeä
silmistänsä=, _the man is ill from his eyes_. =Hän on kömpelö käsistä=,
_he is clumsy with his hands_. =Raukea jaloista=, _foot-sore_. =Koivu on
tuuhea latvasta=, _the birch has spreading branches at the top_. =Veitsi
on terävä kärestä=, _the knife has a sharp edge_.
_Illative._
The original meaning of the illative is motion into the interior of
an object, from which it passes into the general sense of motion to.
Most of its uses are parallel to those of the inessive and elative.
=Mennä kouluun=, =kirkoon=, _to go to school_ or _to church_. =Lähteä
Amerikaan=, =Sipiriaan=, _to go a journey to America_, _to Siberia_.
=Merimies putosi laivalta veteen=, _the sailor fell from the ship into
the water_.
It must, however, be noticed that a good many actions are regarded as
implying motion to, in Finnish, which by our idiom are followed by
prepositions signifying rest in. Thus one says, =Hevoset seisahtuivat
pihaan=, _the horses stopped in the court_. =Sananlennätin tolpat ovat
pystytetyt tien viereen=, _the telegraph wires are laid along the road_.
=Me perustamme koulun kaupunkiin=, _we founded a school in the town_.
The most singular instance of this is, that the verbs signifying to
remain or to leave invariably take this case, or the allative. _To stay
at home_ is =jäädä kotiin=, the original meaning of the verb having
apparently been to go to a place and stay there. Similarly =jättää=,
_to leave behind_, and =unhottaa=, when it is used in the same sense,
take the illative. =Jätin hattuni teaatteriin=, _I left my hat in the
theatre_. =Unhotin rahakukkaroni kotiin=, _I left my purse at home_.