View source for Inessive case

{{Short description|Grammatical case}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2022}}
In [[grammar]], the '''inessive case''' ([[list of glossing abbreviations|abbreviated]] {{sc|'''ine'''}}; from {{langx|la|inesse}} "to be in or at") is a [[locative case|locative]] [[grammatical case]].  This case carries the basic meaning of "in": for example, "in the house" is {{lang|fi|talo·ssa}} in [[Finnish language|Finnish]], {{lang|et|maja·s}} in [[Estonian language|Estonian]], {{lang|mdf|куд·са}} ({{Transliteration|mdf|kud·sa}}) in [[Moksha language|Moksha]], {{lang|eu|etxea·n}} in [[Basque language|Basque]], {{lang|lt|nam·e}} in [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], {{lang|lgt|sāt·ā}} in [[Latgalian language|Latgalian]] and {{lang|hu|ház·ban}} in [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]].

In Finnish the inessive case is typically formed by adding {{wikt-lang|fi|-ssa|-ssa/-ssä}}.  Estonian adds {{lang|et|-s}} to the genitive stem. In Moksha {{lang|mdf|-са}} ({{Transliteration|mdf|-sa}}) is added (in Erzya {{lang|myv|-со}} ({{Transliteration|myv|-so}})).  In Hungarian, the [[Affix|suffix]] {{lang|hu|ban/ben}} is most commonly used for inessive case, although many others, such as {{lang|hu|on/en/ön}} and others are also used, especially with [[cities]].

In the Finnish language, the inessive case is considered the first (in [[Estonian language|Estonian]] the second) of the six locative cases, which correspond to [[wikt:locational|locational]]  [[preposition]]s in [[English (language)|English]].  The remaining five cases are:
{{Wiktionary|inessive case}}
* [[Elative case]] ("out of")
* [[Illative case]] ("into")
* [[Allative case]] ("onto")
* [[Adessive case]] ("on")
* [[Ablative case]] ("from")

==Finnish==
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2021}}
The [[Finnish language]] inessive uses the [[suffix]] {{lang|fi|-ssa}} or {{lang|fi|-ssä}} (depending on [[vowel harmony]]). It is usually added to [[noun]]s and associated [[adjective]]s.

It is used in the following ways:

* Expressing the static state of being in something.
::{{lang|fi|asumme Suome'''ssa'''}} = ''we live in [[Finland]]''

* (with time expressions) stating how long something took to be accomplished or done
:possible [[English language|English]] [[translation]]s include ''in, within''
::{{lang|fi|kahde'''ssa''' vuode'''ssa'''}} = ''within 2 years, during 2 years''

* when two things are closely connected
:English translations can include ''on'' in phrases of this type
::{{lang|fi|N.N. puhelime'''ssa'''}} = ''N.N. on the phone'' {{citation needed|date=May 2021}}
::{{lang|fi|sormus on sorme'''ssa'''ni}} = ''the [[Ring (jewellery)|ring]] is on my [[finger]]''

*as an existensial clause with the [[verb]] {{lang|fi|olla}} (to be), to express possession of objects
::{{lang|fi|sanomalehde'''ssä''' on 68 sivua}} = ''the [[newspaper]] has 68 pages''

*with the verb {{lang|fi|käydä}}, {{lang|fi|vierailla}}
::{{lang|fi|minä käyn baari'''ssa'''}} = ''I visit the bar''

*There are both [[Singular (grammatical number)|singular]] and [[plural]] forms
::{{lang|fi|Käyn baareissa}} = ''I visit the bars''

=== Dialectal variants ===
In a large part of the [[Southwest Finnish dialects|southwestern]], [[South Ostrobothnian dialect|south Ostrobothnian]], [[South Karelian dialects|southeastern]] as well as in some [[Tavastian dialects]], the suffix is simply ''-s'' (e.g. ''maas'', ''talos''), similarly to Estonian. This is an example of [[apocope]]. When coupled with a [[Possessive affix|possessive suffix]],  the result can be like in standard Finnish "''maassani, talossani''" or a shorter "''maasani, talosani''" depending on the dialect: the former is more common in Tavastian and southeastern dialects while the latter is more common in southwestern dialects.

Most [[Central and Northern Ostrobothnian dialects|central and northern Ostrobothnian dialects]] as well as some [[Southwest Finnish dialects|southwestern]] and [[Peräpohjola dialects]] use a shorter suffix ''-sa/-sä'', e.g. ''maasa, talosa''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Inessiivin päätteet|url=http://sokl.uef.fi/aineistot/aidinkieli/murteet/inessiiv.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512163104/http://sokl.uef.fi/aineistot/aidinkieli/murteet/inessiiv.html|archive-date=May 12, 2021|access-date=July 12, 2022|website=sokl.uef.fi|language=fi}}</ref>

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last= Karlsson |first= Fred |year= 2018 |title= Finnish - A Comprehensive Grammar |location= London and New York |publisher= Routledge |isbn= 978-1-138-82104-0}}
* {{cite web |last= Anhava |first= Jaakko |year= 2015 |title= Criteria For Case Forms in Finnish and Hungarian Grammars |location= Helsinki |website= journal.fi |publisher= Finnish Scholarly Journals Online |url= https://journal.fi/store/article/view/52392/16242}}

{{Grammatical cases}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inessive Case}}
[[Category:Grammatical cases]]


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