-nen

See also nen

Finnish

Suffix

-nen

1. (denominal) A suffix added to nouns to build diminutives or terms expressing affection.

   lapsi (“child”) → lapsonen (“kid”)

   pala (“piece”) → palanen (“small piece”)

   kulta (“gold”) → kultanen (“darling”)

   tuuli (“wind”) → tuulonen (“gentle wind, breeze”)

   Ukko (“the God of Thunder”) → ukkonen (“thunder”)

2. (denominal) A suffix added to nouns or proper nouns to build surnames, by now devoid of meaning; can be translated as "of", the genitive case.

   virta (“river”) → Virtanen (“River's”)

Declension

Back vowel harmony declension (includes vowels a, o, u)

Declension of -nen (type nainen) singular plural nominative -nen -set genitive -sen -sten -sien partitive -sta -sia accusative -nen -sen -set inessive -sessa -sissa elative -sesta -sista illative -seen -siin adessive -sella -silla ablative -selta -silta allative -selle -sille essive -sena -sina translative -seksi -siksi instructive – -sin abessive -setta -sitta comitative – -sine-

Front vowel harmony declension (includes vowels ä, ö, y)

Declension of -nen (type nainen) singular plural nominative -nen -set genitive -sen -sten -sien partitive -stä -siä accusative -nen -sen -set inessive -sessä -sissä elative -sestä -sistä illative -seen -siin adessive -sellä -sillä ablative -seltä -siltä allative -selle -sille essive -senä -sinä translative -seksi -siksi instructive – -sin abessive -settä -sittä comitative – -sine-

Usage notes

• Surnames ending in -nen were first recorded in Savo and Karelia in early 16th century, affixed to nicknames ( Korhonen) and vernacular forms of given names (Heikkinen). In the 19th century surnames were required of all Finns, and many new names were created by adding -nen to topographic terms (Ahonen) and to words describing natural phenomena (Aaltonen).
• 38 % of Finns had a surname ending in -nen in 1985.

Derived terms

[+] Finnish words suffixed with -nen

See also

• -inen
• -lainen
• -llinen
• -mainen

References

• Sirkka Paikkala: Se tavallinen Virtanen, SKS 959 (2004), ISBN 951-746-567-X

---

Japanese

Romanization

-nen

1. See ねん