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Questions & Answers about Purkissa on kanelia.
Why is kanelia in the partitive case here instead of the nominative form kaneli?
This is an existential sentence ("There is [something] in [a place]"). In these sentences, if the subject being introduced is an uncountable mass noun like kaneli (cinnamon), it must be in the partitive case. This tells us there is an unspecified amount, or "some" cinnamon, in the jar.
Why does the sentence start with the location (purkissa)?
What happens to the word purkki (jar) when we add the -ssa ending?
The base word purkki undergoes consonant gradation. Because the inessive ending -ssa closes the final syllable, the strong double consonant kk weakens to a single k, making it purkissa.
If there were multiple spices in the jar, would the verb on change to the plural ovat?
No. A key rule of existential sentences is that the verb is always in the 3rd person singular (on), even if you list multiple things or if the subject is plural. For example, you would still use on in Purkissa on kanelia ja sokeria (There is cinnamon and sugar in the jar).