pilkka (“mark”) + -u; first adopted to mean "comma" by Finnish physician and translator Erik Alexander Ingman in 1844.
pilkku
In English-speaking countries dot ( . ) is used to separate decimals from the whole part and comma (, ) to separate powers of three, whereas in Finland along with most of continental Europe, the comma is used as the decimal marker. Due to English influence, in speech the "decimal comma" is sometimes read as piste (“dot”).
Inflection of pilkku (Kotus type 1*A/valo, kk-k gradation) | |||
---|---|---|---|
nominative | pilkku | pilkut | |
genitive | pilkun | pilkkujen | |
partitive | pilkkua | pilkkuja | |
illative | pilkkuun | pilkkuihin | |
singular | plural | ||
nominative | pilkku | pilkut | |
accusative | nom. | pilkku | pilkut |
gen. | pilkun | ||
genitive | pilkun | pilkkujen | |
partitive | pilkkua | pilkkuja | |
inessive | pilkussa | pilkuissa | |
elative | pilkusta | pilkuista | |
illative | pilkkuun | pilkkuihin | |
adessive | pilkulla | pilkuilla | |
ablative | pilkulta | pilkuilta | |
allative | pilkulle | pilkuille | |
essive | pilkkuna | pilkkuina | |
translative | pilkuksi | pilkuiksi | |
abessive | pilkutta | pilkuitta | |
instructive | — | pilkuin | |
comitative | See the possessive forms below. |
Cognates include Finnish pilkku and dialectal Estonian pilg.
pilkku
Declension of pilkku (type 4/koivu, kk-k gradation) | ||
---|---|---|
singular | plural | |
nominative | pilkku | pilkut |
genitive | pilkun | pilkkuin, pilkkuloin |
partitive | pilkkua | pilkkuja, pilkkuloja |
illative | pilkkuu | pilkkui, pilkkuloihe |
inessive | pilkuus | pilkuis, pilkkulois |
elative | pilkust | pilkuist, pilkkuloist |
allative | pilkulle | pilkuille, pilkkuloille |
adessive | pilkuul | pilkuil, pilkkuloil |
ablative | pilkult | pilkuilt, pilkkuloilt |
translative | pilkuks | pilkuiks, pilkkuloiks |
essive | pilkkunna, pilkkuun | pilkkuinna, pilkkuloinna, pilkkuin, pilkkuloin |
exessive1) | pilkkunt | pilkkuint, pilkkuloint |
1) obsolete *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive. |