Onerva

Finnish

Etymology

19th century coinage from archaic Finnish onerva (“aftermath of plants”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈonerʋɑ/, [ˈo̞ne̞rʋɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -onerʋɑ
• Syllabification^(key): O‧ner‧va

Proper noun

Onerva

1. a female given name
   • 1976, Anneli Toijala, Lentäkää linnut, Tammi, →ISBN, page 97:

     —Mistä sinä äidille keksit noin hullun nimen? kysyi Anniina.
     —Miten niin hullun?
     —Olisin laittanut Kanerva, muttei Akseli antanut. Yhtä heinää koko nimi, se sanoi, pistä Koiranputki kolmanneksi. Kaikki nauroivat, Onervakin. Joskus hän tunsi itsensä koiranputkeksi, kuivaksi, ontoksi ruohoksi, olisihan se voinut sopia.
     —Hullun Lintellin talossa Suakarulla asui semmonen ompelija, jolla oli Onerva-niminen tytär ja kun mää kävin sen Lintellin morkussa, siä kaupassa ihan kivijalassa, se Onerva seiso aina portinpiälessä semmottessa musliinimekossa, jossa oli omenankukkia ja ruusuja, ja äitensä huuteli aina klasista: Onervaa, tuu kahveelle! Siittä mää sen otin.
     —Olisit meille muillekin voinut jotain kunnollisempaa, sanoi Rauha.

     —How did you come up with a crazy name like that for mother? Anniina asked.
     —What do you mean crazy?
     —I would've chosen Kanerva, but Akseli didn't want that. He said the name was just grassy and joked that we should put Koiranputki as the third name. Everyone laughed, even Onerva. Sometimes she felt like cow parsley too, a dry, hollow grass, and that could've fit.
     —Down by Suakatu, at the house of that crazy Lintell, there was a seamstress who had a daughter named Onerva, and when I visited Lintell's shack, in the stone foundation of that house, Onerva was always standing by the gate in her muslin dress with apple flowers and roses, and her mother kept yelling: Onerva, come get coffee! That's where I got the name from.
     —You could've come up with something more proper for us too, Rauha said.

   • 1994, Jouko Räty, Vanhan neidin syntymäpäivä, SLEY-kirjat, →ISBN, page 54:

     Että nuori? Onerva tuntuu Aholasta pikemmin vanhan ihmisen nimeltä, eikä hän malttanut olla kysymättä tämän ikää. Hämmästyksekseen hän kuuli, että Pylvälä saattoi olla yhtä vanha kuin hänkin. Mielenkiintoista―ikäisistään Ahola ei muistanut yhtään Onervaa.

     Young you say? Ahola feels Onerva sounds more like the name of an older person and could not restrain from asking her age, amd amazingly, Pylvälä could have been equally old. Interesting―Ahola could not remember meeting a single Onerva of such age.

Declension

Inflection of Onerva (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
nominative		Onerva	Onervat
genitive		Onervan	Onervien
partitive		Onervaa	Onervia
illative		Onervaan	Onerviin
		singular	plural
nominative		Onerva	Onervat
accusative	nom.	Onerva	Onervat
	gen.	Onervan
genitive		Onervan	Onervien Onervain rare
partitive		Onervaa	Onervia
inessive		Onervassa	Onervissa
elative		Onervasta	Onervista
illative		Onervaan	Onerviin
adessive		Onervalla	Onervilla
ablative		Onervalta	Onervilta
allative		Onervalle	Onerville
essive		Onervana	Onervina
translative		Onervaksi	Onerviksi
abessive		Onervatta	Onervitta
instructive		—	Onervin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Onerva (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Onervani Onervani accusative nom. Onervani Onervani gen. Onervani genitive Onervani Onervieni Onervaini rare partitive Onervaani Onerviani inessive Onervassani Onervissani elative Onervastani Onervistani illative Onervaani Onerviini adessive Onervallani Onervillani ablative Onervaltani Onerviltani allative Onervalleni Onervilleni essive Onervanani Onervinani translative Onervakseni Onervikseni abessive Onervattani Onervittani instructive — — comitative — Onervineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Onervasi Onervasi accusative nom. Onervasi Onervasi gen. Onervasi genitive Onervasi Onerviesi Onervaisi rare partitive Onervaasi Onerviasi inessive Onervassasi Onervissasi elative Onervastasi Onervistasi illative Onervaasi Onerviisi adessive Onervallasi Onervillasi ablative Onervaltasi Onerviltasi allative Onervallesi Onervillesi essive Onervanasi Onervinasi translative Onervaksesi Onerviksesi abessive Onervattasi Onervittasi instructive — — comitative — Onervinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Onervamme Onervamme accusative nom. Onervamme Onervamme gen. Onervamme genitive Onervamme Onerviemme Onervaimme rare partitive Onervaamme Onerviamme inessive Onervassamme Onervissamme elative Onervastamme Onervistamme illative Onervaamme Onerviimme adessive Onervallamme Onervillamme ablative Onervaltamme Onerviltamme allative Onervallemme Onervillemme essive Onervanamme Onervinamme translative Onervaksemme Onerviksemme abessive Onervattamme Onervittamme instructive — — comitative — Onervinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Onervanne Onervanne accusative nom. Onervanne Onervanne gen. Onervanne genitive Onervanne Onervienne Onervainne rare partitive Onervaanne Onervianne inessive Onervassanne Onervissanne elative Onervastanne Onervistanne illative Onervaanne Onerviinne adessive Onervallanne Onervillanne ablative Onervaltanne Onerviltanne allative Onervallenne Onervillenne essive Onervananne Onervinanne translative Onervaksenne Onerviksenne abessive Onervattanne Onervittanne instructive — — comitative — Onervinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Onervansa Onervansa accusative nom. Onervansa Onervansa gen. Onervansa genitive Onervansa Onerviensa Onervainsa rare partitive Onervaansa Onerviaan Onerviansa inessive Onervassaan Onervassansa Onervissaan Onervissansa elative Onervastaan Onervastansa Onervistaan Onervistansa illative Onervaansa Onerviinsa adessive Onervallaan Onervallansa Onervillaan Onervillansa ablative Onervaltaan Onervaltansa Onerviltaan Onerviltansa allative Onervalleen Onervallensa Onervilleen Onervillensa essive Onervanaan Onervanansa Onervinaan Onervinansa translative Onervakseen Onervaksensa Onervikseen Onerviksensa abessive Onervattaan Onervattansa Onervittaan Onervittansa instructive — — comitative — Onervineen Onervinensa

Statistics

• Onerva is the 516^th most common female given name in Finland, belonging to 634 female individuals (and as a middle name to 4,573 more, making it much more common as a middle name), and also belongs as a middle name to 9 male individuals, according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• verona