Monday, July 30, 2018
locative cases and postpositions
locative cases and postpositions
When you wish to emphasis or clarify the location of an object you can make use of postpositions instead of case endings. To do this, one removed the locative case ending from the noun and replace it with the proper postposition, leaving a space between the noun (now in the genitive case) and the postposition. The following examples use the Estonian nouns kapp cabinet and laud table.
kapisse (kappi) = kapi sisse into the cabinet
kapis = kapi sees in the cabinet
kapist = kapi seest out of the cabinet
lauale = laua peale onto the table
laual = laua peal onto the table
laualt = laua pealt onto the table
A native speaker, Myst, points out that the long illative kapisse has fallen out of use in the modern spoken language, in favour of the short illative kappi. That gives me another idea for a future post when I look at cases, the short v. the long illative. Thanks Myst!
Note: The observent student will notice that the case endings -sse, -s, -st, -le, -l, -lt have jumped from the noun to the postposition. For example, peale, peal, and pealt simply mean onto the head, on the head, and off the head respectively. The Estonian word for head is pea. It is related to the Finnish and V�ro words for head p�� as in the Southern Estonian town of Otep�� (Ot�mp�� in V�ro) which means Head of the Bear.
A native speaker, Kata, adds the following: There certainly is a historic connection with the noun pea and the postpositions you named. Today the postposition have only one meaning. For example onto the head would be pea peale: Ta elu p��rati pea peale. [Her/His life turned onto the head (lit. Her/His life turned upside-down.]
And one more historical note. I am currently reading a Estonian translation of a novel, published in 1937. "Ta vaatas tema peale" [S/he looked him in the face (lit. onto the head)] is a common way of expression. The case has shifted within the 70 years and now contemporary Estonians would say: "Ta vaatas teda." [S/he looked at her/him] Thanks for the input Kata!
Here are some examples of the Estonian locative cases and postpositions in action:
Karu tuleb koopa seest [= koopast] v�lja The bear comes out of the cave.
Ma m�tlen s�bra peale [= s�brale] I am thinking of my friend.
R��gi k�ik s�dame pealt [= s�damelt] �ra! Tell everything that is on your heart [Get everything off your chest!].
Vean kihla k�mne dollari peale [= k�mnele dollarile] I will bet you ten dollars.
Must valge peal [= valgel] Black on white.
All note the use of k�si hand as a postposition:
Kelle k�es [= Kellel] on minu ajaleht? Who has my newspaper? [In whose hand is my newspaper?]
Ma k�sin venna k�est [= vennalt] I will ask (of) my brother.
Source: Estonian Textbook by Juhan Tuldava, 1994, pg. 100.
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