Breakdown of Emme kävele mehiläistarhoissammekaan ilman suojapukujamme.
kävellä
to walk
ei
no / not (negative verb)
ilman
without
mehiläistarha
the apiary
suojapuku
the protective suit
Questions & Answers about Emme kävele mehiläistarhoissammekaan ilman suojapukujamme.
How do you break down the suffixes in the long word mehiläistarhoissammekaan?
This word perfectly illustrates the strict Finnish suffix order taught in this lesson: Stem + Plural + Case + Possessive + Enclitic. The stem is mehiläistarha (apiary). First we add the plural marker -i- (which shifts the final vowel to make mehiläistarhoi-). Next comes the inessive case -ssa- (in), followed by the possessive suffix -mme- (our), and finally the enclitic particle -kaan (even).
Why does suojapukujamme use a -j- instead of an -i- for the plural marker?
The plural marker is fundamentally -i-, but when it ends up sandwiched between two vowels, it often changes to -j- to make pronunciation smoother. In suojapukujamme, the stem is suojapuku and the partitive ending is -a. The plural marker sits exactly between the final u of the stem and the partitive a, so it surfaces as -j-, giving us the strict order: stem suojapuku + plural -j- + case -a- + possessive -mme.
Why is suojapukujamme in the partitive case here?
The case is triggered by the word ilman (without). While many Finnish adpositions are postpositions that take the genitive case, ilman acts as a preposition and requires the noun that follows it to be in the partitive. Therefore, the plural stem suojapukuj- must take the partitive -a- before the possessive suffix -mme can be attached.
Why does mehiläistarhoissammekaan use the particle -kaan for even instead of -kin?
In affirmative sentences, the enclitic particle -kin is used for also or even. However, because this entire sentence is negative, starting with the negative verb Emme (We do not), you must use the negative counterpart -kaan (or -kään depending on vowel harmony). Attached to the very end of the word, it adds the emphasis even in our apiaries.
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