-tella

See also: tella, Tella, and -tellä

Finnish

Etymology

-ttaa +‎ -ella; the first suffix was adapted by analogy from the causative meaning, taking to "to refer to as" as well as probably later "to act like", while the -ella is a frequentative suffix. The analogy may have also taken place only after the use of -tella in its literal (causative-frequentative) sense for some verbs.

Suffix

-tella (front vowel harmony variant -tellä, stem -ttele-, linguistic notation -ttele- or -tellA)

1. Forms verbs for calling someone by a name or a label.

   ‎neiti (“miss”) + ‎-tella → ‎neiditellä (“to call someone "miss"”)

2. Forms verbs that describe act of pretending to be something.

   ‎hurskas (“pious”) + ‎-tella → ‎hurskastella (“to be hypocritical”)

Usage notes

Often added to the plural stem of the base noun.

Conjugation

When attached to a vowel stem:

Inflection of -tella (Kotus type 67*C/tulla, tt-t gradation)
indicative mood
present tense				perfect
person		positive	negative	person	positive	negative
1st sing.		-ttelen	en -ttele	1st sing.	olen -tellut	en ole -tellut
2nd sing.		-ttelet	et -ttele	2nd sing.	olet -tellut	et ole -tellut
3rd sing.		-ttelee	ei -ttele	3rd sing.	on -tellut	ei ole -tellut
1st plur.		-ttelemme	emme -ttele	1st plur.	olemme -telleet	emme ole -telleet
2nd plur.		-ttelette	ette -ttele	2nd plur.	olette -telleet	ette ole -telleet
3rd plur.		-ttelevat	eivät -ttele	3rd plur.	ovat -telleet	eivät ole -telleet
passive		-tellaan	ei -tella	passive	on -teltu	ei ole -teltu
past tense				pluperfect
person		positive	negative	person	positive	negative
1st sing.		-ttelin	en -tellut	1st sing.	olin -tellut	en ollut -tellut
2nd sing.		-ttelit	et -tellut	2nd sing.	olit -tellut	et ollut -tellut
3rd sing.		-tteli	ei -tellut	3rd sing.	oli -tellut	ei ollut -tellut
1st plur.		-ttelimme	emme -telleet	1st plur.	olimme -telleet	emme olleet -telleet
2nd plur.		-ttelitte	ette -telleet	2nd plur.	olitte -telleet	ette olleet -telleet
3rd plur.		-ttelivat	eivät -telleet	3rd plur.	olivat -telleet	eivät olleet -telleet
passive		-teltiin	ei -teltu	passive	oli -teltu	ei ollut -teltu
conditional mood
present				perfect
person		positive	negative	person	positive	negative
1st sing.		-ttelisin	en -ttelisi	1st sing.	olisin -tellut	en olisi -tellut
2nd sing.		-ttelisit	et -ttelisi	2nd sing.	olisit -tellut	et olisi -tellut
3rd sing.		-ttelisi	ei -ttelisi	3rd sing.	olisi -tellut	ei olisi -tellut
1st plur.		-ttelisimme	emme -ttelisi	1st plur.	olisimme -telleet	emme olisi -telleet
2nd plur.		-ttelisitte	ette -ttelisi	2nd plur.	olisitte -telleet	ette olisi -telleet
3rd plur.		-ttelisivat	eivät -ttelisi	3rd plur.	olisivat -telleet	eivät olisi -telleet
passive		-teltaisiin	ei -teltaisi	passive	olisi -teltu	ei olisi -teltu
imperative mood
present				perfect
person		positive	negative	person	positive	negative
1st sing.		—	—	1st sing.	—	—
2nd sing.		-ttele	älä -ttele	2nd sing.	—	—
3rd sing.		-telkoon	älköön -telko	3rd sing.	olkoon -tellut	älköön olko -tellut
1st plur.		-telkaamme	älkäämme -telko	1st plur.	—	—
2nd plur.		-telkaa	älkää -telko	2nd plur.	—	—
3rd plur.		-telkoot	älkööt -telko	3rd plur.	olkoot -telleet	älkööt olko -telleet
passive		-teltakoon	älköön -teltako	passive	olkoon -teltu	älköön olko -teltu
potential mood
present				perfect
person		positive	negative	person	positive	negative
1st sing.		-tellen	en -telle	1st sing.	lienen -tellut	en liene -tellut
2nd sing.		-tellet	et -telle	2nd sing.	lienet -tellut	et liene -tellut
3rd sing.		-tellee	ei -telle	3rd sing.	lienee -tellut	ei liene -tellut
1st plur.		-tellemme	emme -telle	1st plur.	lienemme -telleet	emme liene -telleet
2nd plur.		-tellette	ette -telle	2nd plur.	lienette -telleet	ette liene -telleet
3rd plur.		-tellevat	eivät -telle	3rd plur.	lienevät -telleet	eivät liene -telleet
passive		-teltaneen	ei -teltane	passive	lienee -teltu	ei liene -teltu
Nominal forms
infinitives				participles
		active	passive		active	passive
1st		-tella		present	-tteleva	-teltava
long 1st1		Possessive forms Person sing. plur. 1st -tellakseni -tellaksemme 2nd -tellaksesi -tellaksenne 3rd -tellakseen -tellaksensa		past	-tellut	-teltu
2nd	inessive2	-tellessa	-teltaessa	agent4	-ttelema
		Possessive forms Person sing. plur. 1st -tellessani -tellessamme 2nd -tellessasi -tellessanne 3rd -tellessaan -tellessansa		negative	-ttelematon
	instructive	-tellen	—	1) Used only with a possessive suffix. 2) Usually with a possessive suffix (active only). 3) Some uses of the verbal noun are called the 'fourth infinitive' by certain sources (more details). 4) Usually with a possessive suffix. May not be used with all verbs, especially intransitive ones (more details). Distinct from nouns with the -ma suffix and third infinitive forms.
3rd	inessive	-ttelemassa	—
	elative	-ttelemasta	—
	illative	-ttelemaan	—
	adessive	-ttelemalla	—
	abessive	-ttelematta	—
	instructive	-tteleman	-teltaman
4th3	verbal noun	-tteleminen
5th1		Possessive forms Person sing. plur. 1st -ttelemaisillani -ttelemaisillamme 2nd -ttelemaisillasi -ttelemaisillanne 3rd -ttelemaisillaan -ttelemaisillansa

With consonant stems, the gradation pattern may be different, e.g. no gradation when the ending becomes -stella.