Questions & Answers about Merirosvo makasi kannella.
What is the dictionary form of makasi, and why does it look so different?
The dictionary form is maata (to lie down). It is a Type 4 verb with a consonant gradation where a k appears in the stem (makaa-). To form the past tense, the final -a changes to -si, resulting in makasi (he/she lay).
Why does this sentence use the static -lla (on) ending for the location, rather than the illative (into) ending from this lesson?
The verb maata describes a regular static state, so it naturally takes a static location case like the adessive (kannella, on the deck). You only use the dynamic illative case for static locations when dealing with the specific anomaly verbs from this lesson, like jäädä (to stay/remain) or unohtaa (to forget).
How exactly does the word kansi (deck) turn into kannella?
Old Finnish words ending in -si change to -te- in their stem, making the strong stem kante-. Adding the -lla ending closes the last syllable, which triggers consonant gradation. The strong nt weakens to nn, giving us kannella.
I always confuse this with the verb for 'to pay'. How do I tell them apart?
They are very easy to mix up! Makasi (lay down) comes from maata. The verb for paying is maksaa. In the past tense, maksaa becomes maksoi (he/she paid), which looks distinctly different from makasi.
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