Frozen Old Case Forms
paljajalu means barefoot and avasüli means with open arms. These words keep an old case that no longer works on new words.
How It Works
The instructive (viisiütlev) is an old case that says how something is done. It probably lost its old ending in the 15th or 16th century and today survives only in fixed phrases. Grammars no longer count it as a living case.
What it looks like. It is built on the vowel plural stem with no ending, so it often looks like a plural partitive: jalu, silmi, käsi, sõnu, hääli. The meaning can still be singular.
Common phrases
- palja jalu ~ paljajalu (barefoot), palja päi ~ paljapäi (bareheaded)
- piki silmi ~ pikisilmi ootama (to wait eagerly)
- avasüli (with open arms), naerusui (with a smile)
- suuri vaevu ~ suurivaevu (only just, with great difficulty)
- lehvivi hõlmu (with coat-tails flapping), värisevi käsi (with trembling hands)
- teisi sõnu ~ teisisõnu (in other words)
One word or two. Several can be written either way: palja jalu or paljajalu, suuri vaevu or suurivaevu. Others are written as one word (avasüli, naerusui) or as two (lehvivi hõlmu, värisevi käsi).
Do not build new ones. For a new description, use the comitative (-ga): paljaste jalgadega, lehvivate hõlmadega, värisevate kätega. Do not mix the two: palja jalgadega is wrong.
Examples (6)
- Lapsed jooksid paljajalu mööda randa.
The children ran barefoot along the beach.
- Ta ootas pikisilmi sõbra kirja.
She was eagerly waiting for her friend's letter.
- Vanaema võttis meid avasüli vastu.
Grandma welcomed us with open arms.
- Ta tuli lehvivi hõlmu trepist alla.
He came down the stairs with his coat-tails flapping.
- Jõudsime suurivaevu rongile.
We only just made it onto the train.
- Teisisõnu jääme me hiljaks.
In other words, we are going to be late.
Common Mistakes
Mixing an instructive word with a comitative noun.
Ta kõndis palja jalgadega.Ta kõndis paljajalu.Use the whole fixed phrase (paljajalu or palja jalu) or the whole comitative (paljaste jalgadega). palja belongs only to the old phrase.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The instructive survives in vowel-plural forms.
Related Patterns
- Comitative (-ga)
The living case to use for new descriptions of manner.
Level 1 - Lying and Kneeling (-li)
Other fixed manner words describing the body.
Level 5 - Adverbs with -tsiBy Sea, By Phone (-tsi)
More fixed words that tell how something is done.
Level 6 - Formal Linking Words
teisisõnu is a frozen instructive.
Level 6 - The Fourteen Cases
The fourteen living cases, which do not include this one.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Frozen Old Case Forms in Bubblegum
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