Essive case

Essive case

The essive or similaris case carries the meaning of a temporary state of being, often equivalent to the English "as a...".

In the Finnish language, this case is marked by adding "-na/-nä" to the stem of the noun.
* Example: "lapsi" "child" -> "lapsena" "as a child", "when (I) was a child".

In the Estonian language, this case is marked by adding "-na" to the genitive case.
* Example: "laps" "child" -> "lapse" "of child" -> "lapsena" "as a child", "when (I) was a child".

In Finnish, it is also used for specifying times, days and dates when something happens. For example:"maanantaina" -> "on Monday", "kuudentena joulukuuta" -> "on the 6th of December". Some expressions use the essive in the ancient locative meaning, e.g. "at home" is "kotona". Observe the similarity to English "at home/in my home":

* "Luen lehtiä kotona." "I read newspapers at home." If you use the inessive, "kodissani", you contrast to reading them in the garage (a physical location) instead.
* "Kodissani tehdään remonttia." "In my home, a renovation is underway."


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  • essive case — noun Noun case used to indicate a temporary state of being. In English, this is often expressed by the adverb as, as in as a child, I played hopscotch. It is also used to signal the site of an action or the time at which it took place. Languages… …   Wiktionary

  • Essive-formal case — In the Hungarian language this case combines the Essive case and the Formal case, and it can express the position, task, state (e.g. as a tourist ), or the manner (e.g. like a hunted animal ). Thestatus of the suffix ként in the declesion system… …   Wikipedia

  • essive-modal — noun The essive modal case. In the Hungarian language this case can express the state, capacity, task in which somebody is or which somebody has (essive case, e.g. as a reward , for example ), or the manner in which the action is carried out, or… …   Wiktionary

  • essive-formal — noun The essive formal case. In the Hungarian language this case combines the essive case and the formal case, and it can express the position, task, state (e.g. as a tourist ), or the manner (e.g. like a hunted animal ) …   Wiktionary

  • essive — I. ˈesiv adjective Etymology: Finnish essiivi, from Latin esse to be + Finnish ivi (from Latin ivus ive) more at is of a grammatical case : denoting a state of being used especially in Finnish and Hungarian grammar …   Useful english dictionary

  • Essive-modal case — This case in Hungarian language can express the state, capacity, task in which somebody is or which somebody has (Essive case, e.g. as a reward , for example ), or the manner in which the action is carried out, or the language which somebody… …   Wikipedia

  • essive — 1. adjective of, or relating to the grammatical case that in some languages indicates existence in a state or capacity 2. noun the essive case, or a word in that case …   Wiktionary

  • essive — /es iv/, Gram. adj. 1. noting a case, as in Finnish, whose distinctive function is to indicate a state of being. n. 2. the essive case. [1900 05; < Finnish essivi < L ess(e) to be + ivus IVE] * * * …   Universalium

  • case — Synonyms and related words: Bible truth, Smyth sewing, abessive, ablative, absolute fact, accepted fact, accusative, action, actual fact, adessive, admitted fact, afghan, alien, allative, ammunition box, anyhow, anyway, apoplectic, approximative …   Moby Thesaurus

  • Adverbial case — The adverbial case is a noun case in the Abkhaz language and Georgian language that has a function similar to the translative and essive cases in Finnic languages. The term is sometimes used to refer to the ablative case in other… …   Wikipedia

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