alkaa

From Proto-Finnic *alkadak, from Proto-Uralic *alka- (“beginning”). Cognates include Northern Mansi о̄вл (ōvl, “head”), Estonian algama.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑlkɑːˣ/, [ˈɑ̝lkɑ̝ː(ʔ)]
• Rhymes: -ɑlkɑː
• Syllabification^(key): al‧kaa

alkaa

1. (intransitive) to begin, start, initiate, set in, be initiated, originate, be originated, take its origin [with elative or ablative]

   Tulevaisuus alkaa tänään.

   The future begins today.

   Polku alkaa tästä.

   The trail starts here.

2. (auxiliary) to begin (to do), start (doing) [with first infinitive or illative of third infinitive ‘to do’]

   Hän alkoi itkeä./Hän alkoi itkemään.

   He started to cry.

   Alan olla väsynyt.

   I'm starting to feel tired.

• Historically, the verb collocation depended on geography: alkaa tehdä (first infinitive) was dominant in Eastern dialects and alkaa tekemään (illative of the third infinitive) in Western dialects. As Standard Finnish went through several reforms in the 1800s, one of the goals was to introduce Eastern characteristics into the then Western-dominated standard language, and the version with the first infinitive became established as standard. Despite the prescription against it, vigorously enforced in schools and editorial practices, the Western usage persisted in colloquial contexts and by the late 1900s became increasingly seen as equal with the Eastern one. Finally, in February 2014, the Institute for the Languages of Finland formally approved both forms as standard.^[1]
• (begin to do): ruveta/ryhtyä tends to represent a more active and/or voluntary role in the action than alkaa.

• aloittaa

• “alkaa”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

• kalaa, laaka

From Proto-Finnic *alkadak. Cognates include Finnish alkaa and Estonian alata.

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈɑlkɑː/, [ˈɑɫkɑ]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈɑlkɑː/, [ˈɑɫkɑː]
• (Hevaha) IPA^(key): /ˈɑlkɑːk/, [ˈɑɫkɑːɡ̊]
• Rhymes: -ɑlkɑː
• Hyphenation: al‧kaa

alkaa

1. (auxiliary + 1st infinitive) to begin; to start (doing)
   • 1936, N. A. Iljin and V. I. Junus, Bukvari iƶoroin șkouluja vart, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 58:

     Tiukku ja nagru väkevä, kunis oppia ei aleta.

     A game and a loud laugh, until they start to learn.

   • 1936, L. G. Terehova, V. G. Erdeli, translated by Mihailov and P. I. Maksimov, Geografia: oppikirja iƶoroin alkușkoulun kolmatta klaassaa vart (ensimäine osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-Pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 3:

     Töö alatta oppihussa geografiaa.

     You are starting to learn geography.

• noissa, käyvvä, lähtiä, aluttaa, täytyä, ruveta

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 12
• Arvo Laanest (1997) Isuri keele Hevaha murde sõnastik, Eesti Keele Instituut, page 19