Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

essive

 
Dictionary: es·sive
(ĕs'ĭv) pronunciation
adj.
Of, relating to, or being the grammatical case indicating a state of being or an existence in a particular capacity or state in some languages, as in Finnish professorina, "as a professor."

n.
  1. The essive case.
  2. A word or form in the essive case.

[Finnish essiivi, from New Latin essīvus : Latin esse, to be + Latin -īvus, -ive.]


Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Wikipedia: Essive case
Top

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."

 
 
Learn More
Essive-formal case
Adverbial case
Essive-modal case

Help us answer these
Obs essive-compulsive disorder what happen when patient collect items and never trast any thing?
What was the progr essive age?

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Essive case" Read more