Finnish part 2

Consonant Gradation
The long Consonants pp, tt, kk alternate with the corresponding short consonants p, t, k. This is called QUANTITATIVE CONSONANT GRADATION.

pp - p	kaappi	cupboard	kaapi/ssa	in the cupboard
tt - t	matto	mat	mato/lla	on the mat
kk - k	kukka	flower	kuka/n	of the flower

The short consonants generally alternate with other consonants; however, k may sometimes be dropped altogether. These alternations are called QUALITATIVE CONSONANT GRADATION

p - v	tupa	hut	tuva/ssa	In the hut
Vt - Vd	katu	street	kadu/lla	on the street
ht - hd	lähte-	leave	lähde/n	I leave
k - ᴓ	tauko	pause	tauo/n	of the pause

Short p changes to v after a vowel or l, r. Short t changes to d after a vowel and after h. Short k disappears after a vowel or l, r except for some special instances. When short p, t, k occur after a nasal consonant with the same place of articulation (m, n, ŋ) or t occurs after l or r (likewise with the same place of articulation), p, t, k are assimilated to preceding consonant.

mp - mm	ampu-	shoot	ammu/mme	we shoot
nt - nn	ranta	shore	ranna/lla	on the shore
nk – ng (long ŋ)	kenkä	shoe	kengä/n	of the shoe
lt - ll	kulta	gold	kulla/n	of the gold
rt - rr	parta	beard	parra/ssa	In the beard
lke - lje	polke-	trample	polje/n	I trample
rke - rje	särke-	break	särje/n	I break
hke - hje	rohkene/t	You dare	rohjet/a	To dare
k - v	puku	dress	puvu/n	Of the dress

Rule A:

In polysyllabic stems long and short p, t, k are subject to consonant gradation if the are followed by an ending which:

· Consists of only one consonant

· Begins with two consonants

· Between p, t, k and the ending there is only a short vowel or a diphthong (not consonants or a syllable boundary)

· The ending causing consonant gradation is usually the case ending in nominals and the personal ending in verbs.

· Between this ending and the consonants p, t, k there can be –I ending

· Alternation never occurs before a long vowel

· There is no alternation in monosyllabic stems.

Rule B

In verbs, p, t, k, are always subject to consonant gradation vefore a short vowel if they occur:

· Before the passive ending

· In the second person singular imperative

· In the present indicative negative.

Vowel Changes before –i endings

In nominals	In verbs
The plural –i (sometimes –j)	The past tense -i
The superlative -in	The conditional mood -isi

Eight rules:

· The Short vowels –o, ö, u, y (i.e. rounded vowels) do not change before –I endings

· A long vowel shortens

· The First vowel of the diphthongs ie, uo, yö is dropped

· i is dropped in diphthongs ending in –i

· short e is always dropped

· short i changes to e before the plural and the superlative but dropped before the past tense and conditional.

· The vowel ä is dropped except in the conditional*

· The vowel a remains unchanged in the conditional and is dropped in the superlative. In the plural and past tense of the two-syllable words a changes to o if the first vowel is a, e or i, but is dropped if the first vowel is u or o.

*contrary to this rule, in some three-syllable nouns ä changes to ö in the plural.

In nouns with three or more syllables a either changes to o or is dropped; sometimes both changes may be possible. The change to o occurs in particular when (1) the only vowel of the preceding syllable is i; (2) a is preceded by a short l, n or r; or (3) a is preceded by two consonants. In plural forms of other nouns of three or more syllables, and of nearly all adjectives, and also in the past tense of verbs with 3 or more syllables a is dropped.