alkaa

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word alkaa. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word alkaa, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say alkaa in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word alkaa you have here. The definition of the word alkaa will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofalkaa, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: älkää

Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *alkadak, from Proto-Uralic *alka- (“beginning”). Cognates include Northern Mansi о̄вл (ōwl, “head”), Estonian algama.

Pronunciation

Verb

alkaa

  1. (auxiliary + first infinitive or + illative of the third infinitive) to begin (to do), start (doing)
    Hän alkoi itkeä./Hän alkoi itkemään.
    He started to cry.
    Alan olla väsynyt.
    I'm starting to feel tired.
  2. (intransitive) to initiate, set in, be initiated, originate, be originated, take its origin (+ elative/ablative)
    Tulevaisuus alkaa tänään.
    The future begins today.
    Polku alkaa tästä.
    The trail starts here.

Usage notes

  • Historically, the verb collocation depended on geography: alkaa tehdä (first infinitive) was dominant in Eastern dialects and alkaa tekemään (illative of the third infinitive) in Western dialects. As Standard Finnish went through several reforms in the 1800s, one of the goals was to introduce Eastern characteristics into the then Western-dominated standard language, and the version with the first infinitive became established as standard. Despite the prescription against it, vigorously enforced in schools and editorial practices, the Western usage persisted in colloquial contexts and by the late 1900s became increasingly seen as equal with the Eastern one. Finally, in February 2014, the Institute for the Languages of Finland formally approved both forms as standard.
  • (begin to do): ruveta/ryhtyä tends to represent a more active and/or voluntary role in the action than alkaa.

Conjugation

Inflection of alkaa (Kotus type 56*D/kaivaa, k-∅ gradation)
indicative mood
present tense perfect
person positive negative person positive negative
1st sing. alan en ala 1st sing. olen alkanut en ole alkanut
2nd sing. alat et ala 2nd sing. olet alkanut et ole alkanut
3rd sing. alkaa ei ala 3rd sing. on alkanut ei ole alkanut
1st plur. alamme emme ala 1st plur. olemme alkaneet emme ole alkaneet
2nd plur. alatte ette ala 2nd plur. olette alkaneet ette ole alkaneet
3rd plur. alkavat eivät ala 3rd plur. ovat alkaneet eivät ole alkaneet
passive aletaan ei aleta passive on alettu ei ole alettu
past tense pluperfect
person positive negative person positive negative
1st sing. aloin en alkanut 1st sing. olin alkanut en ollut alkanut
2nd sing. aloit et alkanut 2nd sing. olit alkanut et ollut alkanut
3rd sing. alkoi ei alkanut 3rd sing. oli alkanut ei ollut alkanut
1st plur. aloimme emme alkaneet 1st plur. olimme alkaneet emme olleet alkaneet
2nd plur. aloitte ette alkaneet 2nd plur. olitte alkaneet ette olleet alkaneet
3rd plur. alkoivat eivät alkaneet 3rd plur. olivat alkaneet eivät olleet alkaneet
passive alettiin ei alettu passive oli alettu ei ollut alettu
conditional mood
present perfect
person positive negative person positive negative
1st sing. alkaisin en alkaisi 1st sing. olisin alkanut en olisi alkanut
2nd sing. alkaisit et alkaisi 2nd sing. olisit alkanut et olisi alkanut
3rd sing. alkaisi ei alkaisi 3rd sing. olisi alkanut ei olisi alkanut
1st plur. alkaisimme emme alkaisi 1st plur. olisimme alkaneet emme olisi alkaneet
2nd plur. alkaisitte ette alkaisi 2nd plur. olisitte alkaneet ette olisi alkaneet
3rd plur. alkaisivat eivät alkaisi 3rd plur. olisivat alkaneet eivät olisi alkaneet
passive alettaisiin ei alettaisi passive olisi alettu ei olisi alettu
imperative mood
present perfect
person positive negative person positive negative
1st sing. — — 1st sing. — —
2nd sing. ala älä ala 2nd sing. — —
3rd sing. alkakoon älköön alkako 3rd sing. olkoon alkanut älköön olko alkanut
1st plur. alkakaamme älkäämme alkako 1st plur. — —
2nd plur. alkakaa älkää alkako 2nd plur. — —
3rd plur. alkakoot älkööt alkako 3rd plur. olkoot alkaneet älkööt olko alkaneet
passive alettakoon älköön alettako passive olkoon alettu älköön olko alettu
potential mood
present perfect
person positive negative person positive negative
1st sing. alkanen en alkane 1st sing. lienen alkanut en liene alkanut
2nd sing. alkanet et alkane 2nd sing. lienet alkanut et liene alkanut
3rd sing. alkanee ei alkane 3rd sing. lienee alkanut ei liene alkanut
1st plur. alkanemme emme alkane 1st plur. lienemme alkaneet emme liene alkaneet
2nd plur. alkanette ette alkane 2nd plur. lienette alkaneet ette liene alkaneet
3rd plur. alkanevat eivät alkane 3rd plur. lienevät alkaneet eivät liene alkaneet
passive alettaneen ei alettane passive lienee alettu ei liene alettu
Nominal forms
infinitives participles
active passive active passive
1st alkaa present alkava alettava
long 1st1
Possessive forms
Person sing. plur.
1st alkaakseni alkaaksemme
2nd alkaaksesi alkaaksenne
3rd alkaakseen
alkaaksensa
past alkanut alettu
2nd inessive2 alkaessa alettaessa agent3 alkama
Possessive forms
Person sing. plur.
1st alkaessani alkaessamme
2nd alkaessasi alkaessanne
3rd alkaessaan
alkaessansa
negative alkamaton
instructive alkaen — 1) Used only with a possessive suffix.

2) Usually with a possessive suffix (active only).
3) Usually with a possessive suffix. Not used with intransitive verbs. Distinct from nouns with the -ma suffix and third infinitive forms.
4) Some uses of the verbal noun are called the 'fourth infinitive' by certain sources (more details).
* The third-person singular indicative form alkaa does not exhibit final gemination,
unlike the first infinitive (the lemma form), even though they are spelled identically.

3rd inessive alkamassa —
elative alkamasta —
illative alkamaan —
adessive alkamalla —
abessive alkamatta —
instructive alkaman alettaman
4th4 verbal noun alkaminen
5th1
Possessive forms
Person sing. plur.
1st alkamaisillani alkamaisillamme
2nd alkamaisillasi alkamaisillanne
3rd alkamaisillaan
alkamaisillansa

Derived terms

adjectives
nouns
verbs

Related terms

References

  1. ^ STT. (5 February 2014) "Kielitoimisto taipui: Tämä ei ole enää virhe". Iltalehti. Accessed 5 February 2014.

Further reading

Anagrams

Ingrian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *alkadak. Cognates include Finnish alkaa and Estonian alata.

Pronunciation

Verb

alkaa

  1. (auxiliary + 1st infinitive) to begin; to start (doing)
    • 1936, N. A. Iljin and V. I. Junus, Bukvari iƶoroin șkouluja vart, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 58:
      Tiukku ja nagru väkevä, kunis oppia ei aleta.
      A game and a loud laugh, until they start to learn.
    • 1936, L. G. Terehova, V. G. Erdeli, translated by Mihailov and P. I. Maksimov, Geografia: oppikirja iƶoroin alkușkoulun kolmatta klaassaa vart (ensimäine osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-Pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 3:
      Töö alatta oppihussa geografiaa.
      You are starting to learn geography.

Conjugation

Conjugation of alkaa (type 4/antaa, k- gradation)
Indikativa
Preesens Perfekta
positive negative positive negative
1st singular alan en ala 1st singular oon alkant, oon alkanut en oo alkant, en oo alkanut
2nd singular alat et ala 2nd singular oot alkant, oot alkanut et oo alkant, et oo alkanut
3rd singular alkaa ei ala 3rd singular ono alkant, ono alkanut ei oo alkant, ei oo alkanut
1st plural alamma emmä ala 1st plural oomma alkaneet emmä oo alkaneet
2nd plural alatta että ala 2nd plural ootta alkaneet että oo alkaneet
3rd plural alkaat1), alkavat2), aletaa evät ala, ei aleta 3rd plural ovat alkaneet evät oo alkaneet, ei oo alettu
impersonal aletaa ei aleta impersonal ono alettu ei oo alettu
Imperfekta Pluskvamperfekta
positive negative positive negative
1st singular aloin en alkant, en alkanut 1st singular olin alkant, olin alkanut en olt alkant, en olt alkanut
2nd singular aloit et alkant, et alkanut 2nd singular olit alkant, olit alkanut et olt alkant, et olt alkanut
3rd singular alkoi ei alkant, ei alkanut 3rd singular oli alkant, oli alkanut ei olt alkant, ei olt alkanut
1st plural aloimma emmä alkaneet 1st plural olimma alkaneet emmä olleet alkaneet
2nd plural aloitta että alkaneet 2nd plural olitta alkaneet että olleet alkaneet
3rd plural alkoit1), alkoivat2), alettii evät alkaneet, ei alettu 3rd plural olivat alkaneet evät olleet alkaneet, ei olt alettu
impersonal alettii ei alettu impersonal oli alettu ei olt alettu
Konditsionala
Preesens Perfekta
positive negative positive negative
1st singular alkaisin en alkais 1st singular olisin alkant, olisin alkanut en olis alkant, en olis alkanut
2nd singular alkaisit, alkaist1) et alkais 2nd singular olisit alkant, olisit alkanut et olis alkant, et olis alkanut
3rd singular alkais ei alkais 3rd singular olis alkant, olis alkanut ei olis alkant, ei olis alkanut
1st plural alkaisimma emmä alkais 1st plural olisimma alkaneet emmä olis alkaneet
2nd plural alkaisitta että alkais 2nd plural olisitta alkaneet että olis alkaneet
3rd plural alkaisiit1), alkaisivat2), alettais evät alkais, ei alettais 3rd plural olisivat alkaneet evät olis alkaneet, ei olis alettu
impersonal alettais ei alettais impersonal olis alettu ei olis alettu
Imperativa
Preesens Perfekta
positive negative positive negative
1st singular — — 1st singular — —
2nd singular ala elä ala 2nd singular oo alkant, oo alkanut elä oo alkant, elä oo alkanut
3rd singular alkakoo elköö alkako 3rd singular olkoo alkant, olkoo alkanut elköö olko alkant, elköö olko alkanut
1st plural — — 1st plural — —
2nd plural alkakaa elkää alkako 2nd plural olkaa alkaneet elkää olko alkaneet
3rd plural alkakoot elkööt alkako, elköö alettako 3rd plural olkoot alkaneet elkööt olko alkaneet, elköö olko alettu
impersonal alettakkoo elköö alettako impersonal olkoo alettu elköö olko alettu
Potentsiala
Preesens
positive negative
1st singular alkanen en alkane
2nd singular alkanet et alkane
3rd singular alkanoo ei alkane
1st plural alkanemma emmä alkane
2nd plural alkanetta että alkane
3rd plural alkanoot evät alkane, ei alettane
impersonal alettannoo ei alettane
Nominal forms
Infinitivat Partisipat
active passive
1st alkaa present alkava alettava
2nd inessive alkajees past alkant, alkanut alettu
instructive alkaen 1) Chiefly in the Soikkola dialect.
2) Chiefly in the Ala-Laukaa dialect.
*) For the imperative, the 2nd plural (alkakaa) may be used for the 3rd person as well.
**) The interrogative is formed by adding the suffix -k (-ka?/-kä?) to the indicative
***) The deliberative is formed by adding the suffix -k (-ka?/-kä?) or -kse to either the indicative or the potential
****) In folk poetry, a long first infinitive can be formed by adding the suffix -kse-, followed by possessive suffixes, to the first infinitive. Note that sometimes gemination may be undone by this addition.
3rd illative alkamaa
inessive alkamaas
elative alkamast
abessive alkamata
4th nominative alkamiin
partitive alkamista, alkamist

Synonyms

Derived terms

References

  • Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 12
  • Arvo Laanest (1997) Isuri keele Hevaha murde sõnastik, Eesti Keele Instituut, page 19
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia