kauan
See also: Kauan
Finnish
Alternative forms
- kauvan (dialectal)
Etymology
Instructive singular case of the root kauko- (“far”). Cognate to Ingrian kavvan (“for a long time”), Estonian kaua (“for a long time”), Votic kauga (“for a long time”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈkɑu̯.ɑn/, [ˈkɑ̝u̯.ɑ̝n]
- Rhymes: -ɑuɑn
- Syllabification(key): kau‧an
- Hyphenation(key): kau‧an
Adverb
kauan (comparative kauemmin, superlative kauimmin)
- (for) a long time
- kauan sitten ― long ago
- Olen tuntenut hänet kauan.
- I have known him for a long time.
Usage notes
kauan can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences, although a separate form kauaa exists for negative sentences as well.
| polarity pair |
positive | kauan |
|---|---|---|
| negative | kauan, kauaa |
Inflection
Declension of kauko-
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Further reading
- “kauan”, 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 2 July 2023