Through Finland in Carts Part 14

Finnish is almost as difficult to learn as Chinese. Every noun has sixteen cases, and the suffixes alter so much, one hardly recognises the more complicated as the outcome of the original nominative. It takes, therefore, almost a lifetime to learn Finnish thoroughly, although the structure of their sentences is simple, and, being a nation little given to gush, adverbs and adjectives are seldom used.

As an example of Finnish, we give the following table made out at our request, so that we might learn a few sentences likely to prove useful when travelling in the less-frequented parts of the country--every letter is p.r.o.nounced as written.

FINNISH. ENGLISH.

_Hyvaa huomenta._ Good morning.

_Hyvaa iltaa._ Good evening.

_Hyvaa paivaa._ Good day.

_Hyvaa yota._ Good night.

_Hyvasti._ Adieu.

_Jumalan haltuun._ G.o.d be with you.

_Kuinka voitte?_ How are you?

_Olkaa niin hyva._ Be so kind.

_Pyydan_, or _olkaa niin hyva_. Please; yes, please.

_Kiitoksia._ Thank you.

_Kiitan._ I thank you.

_Saisinko mina vuoteen._ I want a bed.

_Saisinko mina yosijaa?_ Can I stay the night?

_Saisinko luvan tietaa mitaruokaa May I know what there is to teilla on?_ eat?

_Saisiko taalla ruokaa?_ Can we get anything to eat?

_Saisiko taalla juomaa?_ Can we get anything to drink?

_Paljoko se maksaa?_} What does it cost?

_Mita se maksaa?_ } _Mita olen velkaa?_ What do I owe you?

_Mita olemme velkaa?_ What do we owe you?

_Me tahdomme lahtea_ We would like to leave at one (or _matkustaa_) _kello yksi._ o'clock.

_Milla tunnilla saavumme perille?_ At what time will we arrive?

_Kuinka kaukana se on?_ How far is it?

_Onko sinne pitkalta?_ Is it far from here?

_Olkaa hyva tuokaa viela lihaa._ Please bring some more meat.

_Kuulkaa?_ Do you hear?

_Heti._ Quick.

FINNISH. ENGLISH. FINNISH. ENGLISH.

_Maitoa._ Milk. _Leipaa._ Bread.

_Voita._ b.u.t.ter. _Kahvia._ Coffee.

_Sokeria._ Sugar. _Kaloja._ Fish.

_Munia._ Eggs. _Olutta._ Beer.

The foregoing are all in the objective case; in the nominative they would be:--

_Liha, Maito, Leipa, Voi, Kahvi, Sokeri, Kala, Muna, Olut._

The numeration table is as follows:--

_Yksi._ 1.

_Kaksi._ 2.

_Kolme._ 3.

_Nelja._ 4.

_Viisi._ 5.

_Kuusi._ 6.

_Seitseman._ 7.

_Kahdeksan._ 8.

_Yhdeksan._ 9.

_Kymmene._ 10.

_Kaksikymmenta._ 20.

_Kaksikymmenta yksi._ 21.

_Kaksikymmenta kaksi._ 22.

_Kolme kymmenta._ 30.

_Nelja kymmenta._ 40.

_Viisi kymmenta._ 50.

_Sata._ 100.

_Kaksisataa._ 200.

_Kolme sataa._ 300.

_Tuhat._ 1000.

_Kaksi tuhatta._ 2000.

_Kolme tuhatta._ 3000.

_Miljoona._ 1,000,000.

_Tuhat kahdeksansataa yhdeksankymmenta kuusi._ 1896.

To show the difficulties of the declensions, we take, as an example, the ordinary word land.

Declensions of the word Maa=Land.

SINGULARIS. PLURALIS.

_Nominativus._ maa. maa-t.

_Genetivus._ maa-n. mai-den.

_Ackusativus._ maa-n. maa-t.

_Instructivus._ maa-n. mai-n.

_Essivus._ maa-na. mai-na.

_Part.i.tivus._ maa-ta. mai-ta.

_Translativus._ maa-ksi. mai-ksi.

Inner local cases.

_Inessivus._ maa-ssa. mai-ssa.

_Elativus._ maa-sta. mai-sta.

_Illativus._ maa-han. mai-hin.

Outer local cases.

_Adessivus._ maa-lla. mai-lla.

_Ablativus._ maa-lta. mai-lta.

_Allativus._ maa-lle. mai-lle.

_Abessivus._ maa-tta. mai-tta.

_Komitalivus._ mai-ne.