merta

See also: mertâ and Merta

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmertɑ/, [ˈme̞rt̪ɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ertɑ
• Syllabification^(key): mer‧ta
• Hyphenation^(key): mer‧ta

Etymology 1

From Proto-Finnic *mërta, borrowed from Proto-Germanic [Term?] (compare Swedish mjärde (“pot, trap”)).

Noun

merta

1. pot, cage trap (a trap for fishing crabs, fish, etc.)

Declension

Inflection of merta (Kotus type 9*K/kala, rt–rr gradation)
nominative		merta	merrat
genitive		merran	mertojen
partitive		mertaa	mertoja
illative		mertaan	mertoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		merta	merrat
accusative	nom.	merta	merrat
	gen.	merran
genitive		merran	mertojen mertain rare
partitive		mertaa	mertoja
inessive		merrassa	merroissa
elative		merrasta	merroista
illative		mertaan	mertoihin
adessive		merralla	merroilla
ablative		merralta	merroilta
allative		merralle	merroille
essive		mertana	mertoina
translative		merraksi	merroiksi
abessive		merratta	merroitta
instructive		—	merroin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of merta (Kotus type 9*K/kala, rt–rr gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative mertani mertani accusative nom. mertani mertani gen. mertani genitive mertani mertojeni mertaini rare partitive mertaani mertojani inessive merrassani merroissani elative merrastani merroistani illative mertaani mertoihini adessive merrallani merroillani ablative merraltani merroiltani allative merralleni merroilleni essive mertanani mertoinani translative merrakseni merroikseni abessive merrattani merroittani instructive — — comitative — mertoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative mertasi mertasi accusative nom. mertasi mertasi gen. mertasi genitive mertasi mertojesi mertaisi rare partitive mertaasi mertojasi inessive merrassasi merroissasi elative merrastasi merroistasi illative mertaasi mertoihisi adessive merrallasi merroillasi ablative merraltasi merroiltasi allative merrallesi merroillesi essive mertanasi mertoinasi translative merraksesi merroiksesi abessive merrattasi merroittasi instructive — — comitative — mertoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative mertamme mertamme accusative nom. mertamme mertamme gen. mertamme genitive mertamme mertojemme mertaimme rare partitive mertaamme mertojamme inessive merrassamme merroissamme elative merrastamme merroistamme illative mertaamme mertoihimme adessive merrallamme merroillamme ablative merraltamme merroiltamme allative merrallemme merroillemme essive mertanamme mertoinamme translative merraksemme merroiksemme abessive merrattamme merroittamme instructive — — comitative — mertoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative mertanne mertanne accusative nom. mertanne mertanne gen. mertanne genitive mertanne mertojenne mertainne rare partitive mertaanne mertojanne inessive merrassanne merroissanne elative merrastanne merroistanne illative mertaanne mertoihinne adessive merrallanne merroillanne ablative merraltanne merroiltanne allative merrallenne merroillenne essive mertananne mertoinanne translative merraksenne merroiksenne abessive merrattanne merroittanne instructive — — comitative — mertoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative mertansa mertansa accusative nom. mertansa mertansa gen. mertansa genitive mertansa mertojensa mertainsa rare partitive mertaansa mertojaan mertojansa inessive merrassaan merrassansa merroissaan merroissansa elative merrastaan merrastansa merroistaan merroistansa illative mertaansa mertoihinsa adessive merrallaan merrallansa merroillaan merroillansa ablative merraltaan merraltansa merroiltaan merroiltansa allative merralleen merrallensa merroilleen merroillensa essive mertanaan mertanansa mertoinaan mertoinansa translative merrakseen merraksensa merroikseen merroiksensa abessive merrattaan merrattansa merroittaan merroittansa instructive — — comitative — mertoineen mertoinensa

Derived terms

• Merta
• Mertala
• Mertanen

compounds

• Mertaniemi
• Mertaranta
• nahkiaismerta
• rapumerta

Further reading

• “merta”, 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 1 July 2023

Etymology 2

Noun

merta

1. partitive singular of meri

Usage notes

• This form is irregular. A regular form would have a front vowel (**mertä) according to vowel harmony.

Ingrian

Merta (1).

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *mërta (“fish trap”). Cognates include Finnish merta and Estonian mõrd.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈmertɑ/, [ˈme̞rt]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈmertɑ/, [ˈme̞rd̥ɑ]
• Rhymes: -ert, -ertɑ
• Hyphenation: mer‧ta

Noun

merta

1. basket

   Paa marjat mertaa! ― Put the berries in the basket!

2. a type of fish trap used to catch lampreys

Declension

Declension of merta (type 3/kana, rt-rr gradation)
	singular	plural
nominative	merta	merrat
genitive	merran	mertoin
partitive	mertaa	mertoja
illative	mertaa	mertoi
inessive	merraas	merrois
elative	merrast	merroist
allative	merralle	merroille
adessive	merraal	merroil
ablative	merralt	merroilt
translative	merraks	merroiks
essive	mertanna, mertaan	mertoinna, mertoin
exessive1)	mertant	mertoint
1) obsolete *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.

Derived terms

• (diminutive) mertain

• heinämerta
• kalamerta
• maamunamerta
• marjamerta
• mertatovvi
• toohimerta
• vitsamerta

References

• V. I. Junus (1936), Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka‎^[2], Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 20
• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971), Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 304

Karelian

Regional variants of merta

North Karelian (Viena)	merta
South Karelian (Tver)	merda

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *mërta. Cognates include Finnish merta and Veps merd.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmertɑ/
• Hyphenation: mer‧ta

Noun

merta (genitive merran, partitive mertua)

1. (North Karelian) fish trap

Declension

Viena Karelian declension of merta (type 4/kala, rt-rr gradation)
	singular	plural
nominative	merta	merrat
genitive	merran	mertojen
partitive	mertua	mertoja
illative	mertah	mertoih
inessive	merrašša	merroissa
elative	merrašta	merroista
adessive	merralla	merroilla
ablative	merralta	merroilta
translative	merrakši	merroiksi
essive	mertana	mertoina
comitative	—	merroineh
abessive	merratta	merroitta
prolative	—	—
instructive	—	merroin

Possessive forms of merta
1st person	mertani
2nd person	mertaš
3rd person	mertah
*) Possessive forms are very rare for adjectives and only used in substantivised clauses.

References

• P. Zaykov; L. Rugoyeva (1999), “merta”, in Карельско-Русский словарь (Северно-Карельские диалекты) [Karelian-Russian dictionary (North Karelian dialects)], Petrozavodsk, →ISBN
• Pertti Virtaranta; Raija Koponen (2009), “merta”, in Marja Torikka, editor, Karjalan kielen sanakirja‎^[3], Helsinki: Kotus, →ISSN

Polish

Pronunciation

• (Greater Poland):
  • (Kuyavia) IPA^(key): [ˈmɛr.ta]
• (Masovia):
  • (Łowicz) IPA^(key): [ˈmɛr.ta]

Noun

merta f

1. (Kuyavia, Łowicz, Strugienice, Sierakowice, Kompina, Sobocka Wieś) alternative form of mirt

Further reading

• Hieronim Łopaciński (1892), “merta”, in “Przyczynki do nowego słownika języka polskiego (słownik wyrazów ludowych z Lubelskiego i innych okolic Królestwa Polskiego)”, in Prace Filologiczne (in Polish), volume 4, Warsaw: skł. gł. w Księgarni E. Wende i Ska, page 217
• Halina Świderska (1929), “merta”, in Dialekt Księstwa Łowickiego (in Polish), Warsaw, →ISBN, page 114