The translative can be used idiomatically in such phrases as He speaks Finnish well for a foreigner, or considering that he is a foreigner, hän puhuu suomea hyvin ulkomaalaiseksi. So too, Laiva on purreksi hyvä kulkemaan, the ship goes well for a sailing-boat. Poika on liian viisas ikäiseksensä, the boy is very clever for his age. A good example of this use is found in Kal. v. 63 ff. Sileähk’ on silkaseksi, Kuleahka kuujaseksi, Evätöin emäkalaksi, Ihala imehnoksiki, Pää-rivatoin neitoseksi, Vyötöin veen on tyttöseksi, Korvitoin kotikanaksi.
VI. This use is analogous to the adverbial use of the translative, which is frequent. For instance, pahaksi (or kovaksi), hyväksi onneksi, fortunately, unfortunately. Osaksi, partly. Elää herroiksi, to live en grand seigneur.
With this may be compared its use to express the language in which anything is written. Kirja on käännetty suomeksi, the book is translated in Finnish. So Saksaksi, in German; Ruotsiksi, in Swedish; Venäjäksi, in Russian.
Comitative.
I. The comitative is used to express the person in whose company, or the object in connection with which an action takes place. It is always used in spoken Finnish in the plural, even if only one person or object is referred to, but in the old language and in printed books the singular is sometimes found. It nearly always takes a pronominal affix. Mies meni pois vaimoinensa, the man went away with his wife. Vetivät verkon kaloinensa, they drew in the net with the fish. Otti lapsen äitinensä, he took the child with its mother. Kesä on tullut ihanine ilmoinensa, the summer is come with beautiful weather. Sata miestä miekkoinensa, a hundred men with their swords (Kal. xi. 100).
When the comitative is combined with an attribute, the latter frequently ends in n, not ne. For instance, järvet saoin saarinensa, lakes with a hundred islands (Kal. xxiv. 459). Ei hänen sovi tulla tänne tuhmin tapoinensa, he ought not to come here with his foolish ways. Älä tule sisään likaisin jalkoinesi, don’t come in with your dirty feet.
Copious examples of this case will be found in Kalevala, xxiv. 444-462. Jää nyt pirtti terveheksi, Pirtti lautakattonesi, etc.
Instructive.
I. The instructive is used to express the instrument or the manner in which an action is performed. The instructive of substantives is chiefly used of parts of the body and in modern Finnish always in the plural. Paljain jaloin, with bare legs, barelegged. Poika meni ulkos paljain päin, the boy went out bareheaded. Omin käsin, with one’s own hands; omin silmin, with one’s own eyes. Ristissä käsin, with hands crossed. Kaikki huonekalut ovat sikin sokin, all the furniture is topsy-turvy. Kulkea jalan, to go on foot. Alla päin, with one’s head hanging down (Kal. iii. 501 and following lines). On meillä valta omin luvin tulla huoneesenne, we have authority to come into your room without asking leave. Kahden ynnä, both together; yksin mielin, with one accord; yksin syntyi Wäinämöinen, Wäinämöinen was born alone.