-nsa

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See also: nsa, NSA, and -nsä

Finnish

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-Finnic *-nsak, from Proto-Uralic *-nsak, originally the third-person plural possessive for plural nouns. Cognate with Erzya -(н)зо (-(n)zo), -ст (-st).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /-nsɑˣ/, [-ns̠ɑ̝(ʔ)]

Suffix

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-nsa (front vowel harmony variant -nsä, linguistic notation -nsA) (to the (strong) vowel stem; the final -n of the genitive and illative singular and plural or the -t of the nominative plural is omitted)

  1. (possessive) Third-person possessive suffix, used with the genitive forms of the third-person pronouns hän sg (hänen) and he pl (heidän): his, her; their (only of people); its (in some cases; see the usage notes below)
    hänen kirjansahis/her book
    hänen äänensähis/her voice
    heidän kirjansatheir book
    Kalle luki hänen kirjansa.Kalle read his/her book. [The book is not by or owned by Kalle, but some other person mentioned before.]
    1. (possessive) Third-person reflexive possessive suffix.
      Kalle luki kirjansa.Kalle read his (own) book. [The book is by or owned by Kalle himself.]
    2. (possessive) Appended to a postposition, when it modifies a word in the genitive case and a third-person personal pronoun is used: him, her; them (only of people)
      hänen takanansabehind him/her
      heidän edessänsäin front of them
    3. (possessive) Used in a participle structure replacing an "että" clause, preceded by a verb expressing e.g. telling, claiming, asserting, confirming, thinking, wish, desire, seeming, when the clauses have the same subject "he", "she" or "they" (only of people); appended to the active present participle in genitive singular when the action is concurrent with the main clause.
      He sanoivat saavansa rahaa.
      They said that they were receiving money.
    4. (possessive) Used in a participle structure replacing an "että" clause, preceded by a verb expressing e.g. telling, claiming, asserting, confirming, thinking, wish, desire, seeming, when the clauses have the same subject "he", "she" or "they" (only of people); appended to the active past participle in genitive singular when the said/alleged (etc.) action antedates the main clause.
      Hän väitti saaneensa rahaa.
      She claimed to have received money.
    5. (possessive) Used in a shortened sentence expressing concurrent actions when the clauses have the same subject in the third person, appended to the inessive of the active second infinitive.
      Saadessansa rahaa hän kuuli laukauksen ulkoa.
      (While) receiving money, he heard a shot from outside.
      or saadessaan, see the usage notes below
    6. (possessive) Used in a shortened sentence expressing subsequent actions when the clauses have the same subject in the third person, appended to the partitive of the passive past participle singular.
      Saatuansa rahaa hän kuuli laukauksen ulkoa.
      (After) having received / After receiving money, she heard a shot from outside.
      or saatuaan, see the usage notes below
    7. (possessive) Used in a final shortened sentence expressing "in order to do" when the clauses have the same subject in the third person, appended to the long first infinitive.
      Saadaksensa enemmän rahaa he vaihtoivat työpaikkaa.
      (In order) to get more money, they changed their job.
      or saadakseen, see the usage notes below
    8. (possessive) Used in some adverbs that include back vowels, when the clause has the subject in the third person.
      Hän oli hyvin pahoillansa siitä.
      S/he was very sorry about it.
      or pahoillaan, see the usage notes below
    9. (possessive) Always appended to a noun in the comitative case when the clause has the subject in the third person.
      Hän käveli kirjoinensa ovesta ulos.
      S/he walked out the door with his/her books.
      or kirjoineen, see the usage notes below

Usage notes

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Derived terms

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  • toisensa (each other, one another)

See also

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Anagrams

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Sidamo

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Pronunciation

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Determiner

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-nsa

  1. their

See also

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References

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  • Kazuhiro Kawachi (2007) A grammar of Sidaama (Sidamo), a Cushitic language of Ethiopia, page 383