Questions & Answers about Poika vavahti kylmästä tuulesta.
I see the momentane suffix -ahtaa in vavahtaa. What base verb does this relate to, and how does the meaning change?
It is related to the verb vapista (to shake, tremble, or shiver). While vapista describes a continuous action, adding the momentane suffix -ahtaa creates vavahtaa, which means the action happens suddenly and just once. So instead of continuously shivering, the boy gives a single, sudden shudder or flinch.
How is the past tense vavahti formed from vavahtaa? Is there any consonant gradation?
To form the past tense of -ahtaa verbs, the final -a is simply dropped and replaced by the past tense marker -i, resulting in vavahti. There is no consonant gradation to worry about here, because the consonant cluster -ht- does not weaken in this verb type.
Why is kylmästä tuulesta (from the cold wind) in the elative case (-sta)?
In Finnish, the elative case (-sta/-stä) is commonly used to express the cause or origin of a physical or emotional reaction. Just as you get tired from something (väsyä jostakin), the boy shudders because of the cold wind.
Could I use the ablative case (kylmältä tuulelta) instead to mean "from the wind"?