kauan

See also: Kauan

Finnish

Alternative forms

• kauvan (dialectal)

Etymology

Instructive singular case of the root kauka- (kauko-) (“far”) (*kauɣan). Cognate to Ingrian kavvan (“for a long time”), Estonian kaua (“for a long time”), Votic kauga (“for a long time”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑu̯.ɑn/, [ˈkɑ̝u̯.(w)ɑ̝n]
• Rhymes: -ɑuɑn
• Syllabification^(key): kau‧an
• Hyphenation^(key): kau‧an

Adverb

kauan (comparative kauemmin, superlative kauimmin)

1. (for) a long time

   kauan sitten ― long ago

   Olen tuntenut hänet kauan.

   I have known him for a long time.

Usage notes

kauan can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences, although a separate form kauaa exists for negative sentences as well.

polarity pair	positive	kauan
	negative	kauan, kauaa

Inflection

Declension of kauko- noun case singular plural adverbial form singular plural nominative kauko- – superessive – – genitive – – delative – – partitive kaukaa kauaa – sublative – – accusative – – lative kauas – inessive – – temporal – – elative – – causative – – illative – – multiplicative – – adessive – – distributive – – ablative – – temp. dist. – – allative – – prolative – – essive kaukana – situative – – translative kauaksi – oppositive – – abessive – – instructive kauan – comitative – –

Further reading

• “kauan”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

Anagrams

• kauna