From Proto-Finnic *pohja (compare Estonian põhi). Doublet of posio, which is a borrowing from Sami.
The sense "north" is due to the practice of building dwellings facing south (as that was the direction the sun would shine from at noon in Northern Europe), and thus the far end of a building furthest from the entrance would be situated towards the north.
pohja
Inflection of pohja (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
nominative | pohja | pohjat | ||
genitive | pohjan | pohjien | ||
partitive | pohjaa | pohjia | ||
illative | pohjaan | pohjiin | ||
singular | plural | |||
nominative | pohja | pohjat | ||
accusative | nom. | pohja | pohjat | |
gen. | pohjan | |||
genitive | pohjan | pohjien pohjainrare | ||
partitive | pohjaa | pohjia | ||
inessive | pohjassa | pohjissa | ||
elative | pohjasta | pohjista | ||
illative | pohjaan | pohjiin | ||
adessive | pohjalla | pohjilla | ||
ablative | pohjalta | pohjilta | ||
allative | pohjalle | pohjille | ||
essive | pohjana | pohjina | ||
translative | pohjaksi | pohjiksi | ||
abessive | pohjatta | pohjitta | ||
instructive | — | pohjin | ||
comitative | See the possessive forms below. |
From Proto-Finnic *pohja. Cognates include Finnish pohja and Estonian põhi.
pohja
Declension of pohja (type 3/koira, no gradation) | ||
---|---|---|
singular | plural | |
nominative | pohja | pohjat |
genitive | pohjan | pohjiin |
partitive | pohjaa | pohjia |
illative | pohjaa | pohjii |
inessive | pohjaas | pohjiis |
elative | pohjast | pohjist |
allative | pohjalle | pohjille |
adessive | pohjaal | pohjiil |
ablative | pohjalt | pohjilt |
translative | pohjaks | pohjiks |
essive | pohjanna, pohjaan | pohjinna, pohjiin |
exessive1) | pohjant | pohjint |
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. |