Breakdown of Kelloseppä etsii sopivaa metallia kellotauluksi ja viisariksi.
ja
and
etsiä
to look for
metalli
metal
sopiva
suitable
kelloseppä
the watchmaker
kellotaulu
the dial
viisari
the clock hand
Questions & Answers about Kelloseppä etsii sopivaa metallia kellotauluksi ja viisariksi.
Why are kellotauluksi and viisariksi in the translative case (-ksi) instead of using a word like varten for "for"?
The translative case here expresses the intended purpose or future role of the material. The watchmaker wants the metal to become or to serve as the dial and hand. Using a postposition like varten (kellotaulua varten) would also be grammatically correct, but this "translative of purpose" is a very natural and compact way to express what a material will be used as.
Could I use the illative case here, like kellotauluun? What would that mean?
If you said kelloseppä etsii metallia kellotauluun, it would mean he is looking for metal to add into or onto an already existing dial. By using the translative kellotauluksi, it clearly specifies that the metal itself will be crafted to become the dial.
As a quick refresher, why is sopivaa metallia in the partitive case here?
What is the literal meaning of the compound words kelloseppä and kellotaulu?
Kelloseppä comes from kello (clock or watch) and seppä (smith), so a watchmaker is literally a clock-smith. Kellotaulu combines kello and taulu (board, painting, or panel), making the dial literally the clock-board.
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