From Proto-Finnic *kirstu (compare Estonian kirst, Votic kirstu), of unknown further origin, but related to Latvian šķirsts (“chest, coffin”) and dialectal Russian ке́рста (kérsta); there is no consensus on the direction of borrowing. The word however cannot be older than Finnic due to the consonant cluster.
kirstu
| Inflection of kirstu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | kirstu | kirstut | |
| genitive | kirstun | kirstujen | |
| partitive | kirstua | kirstuja | |
| illative | kirstuun | kirstuihin | |
| singular | plural | ||
| nominative | kirstu | kirstut | |
| accusative | nom. | kirstu | kirstut |
| gen. | kirstun | ||
| genitive | kirstun | kirstujen | |
| partitive | kirstua | kirstuja | |
| inessive | kirstussa | kirstuissa | |
| elative | kirstusta | kirstuista | |
| illative | kirstuun | kirstuihin | |
| adessive | kirstulla | kirstuilla | |
| ablative | kirstulta | kirstuilta | |
| allative | kirstulle | kirstuille | |
| essive | kirstuna | kirstuina | |
| translative | kirstuksi | kirstuiksi | |
| abessive | kirstutta | kirstuitta | |
| instructive | — | kirstuin | |
| comitative | See the possessive forms below. | ||
kirstu
| Declension of kirstu (type II/võrkko, no gradation) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | plural | |
| nominative | kirstu | kirstud |
| genitive | kirstu | kirstujõ, kirstui |
| partitive | kirstua | kirstuitõ, kirstui |
| illative | kirstusõ, kirstu | kirstuisõ |
| inessive | kirstuz | kirstuiz |
| elative | kirstussõ | kirstuissõ |
| allative | kirstulõ | kirstuilõ |
| adessive | kirstullõ | kirstuillõ |
| ablative | kirstultõ | kirstuiltõ |
| translative | kirstussi | kirstuissi |
| *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the terminative is formed by adding the suffix -ssaa to the short illative (sg) or the genitive. ***) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka to the genitive. | ||