The (english) descriptions of the Finnish grammar are hopelessly out of date. Aso the Finnish descriptions were out of date. In fact the latest Finnish grammar was fifty years old.

Last week a new Finnish grammar was published and it describes all these features from the spoken language (mä, sä), the particles (onks?) and the new words from the digital world. Written by Auli Hakulinen et. al. with 950 pages.

It's pretty advanced, so it's only useful for a few linguists. It also costs 120 euro. It's published by the SKS: suomen kirjallisuuden seura.

ISO suomen kielenoppi

http://fmhaku.finlit.fi/fmpro?-db=skswo ... x.htm&-new


However, if you wonder why the Finnish grammar from Fred Karlsson teaches a Finnish that was only known fifty years ago in some circles, and that is never spoken and written anywhere today, that book gives you the answer.

A new grammar on Finnish in English. I know the Finnish version and I think it is a very good grammar book. Who has seen this new Grammar or who has seen reviews of this one:

A Grammar Book of Finnish
Leila White

Published on: 31.08.2006
ISBN: 9517921462
26.00 euro

http://kirja.fi/finnlectura/product.php?isbn=9517921462


"A practical basic grammar for foreign learners of Finnish. It presents clearly the central features of the Finnish grammar containing the grammar needed for speaking, understanding and reading ordinary standard Finnish. "

I must check this out...I have Leila's Finnish language book ...but it is difficult to use for a beginer..
Freds book is so out of date that it is now almost useless...OK it gives the basic rules ...but many of the examples of useage are terrible...some are almost laughable.
He stuffed a few pages in to recent edition to try and explain "spoken Finnish"...but what he calls "spoken Finnish" is now in fact ...actual real Finnish.
I hope Leila's new book kicks Fred's out of the book shops.
The Proffesor of Linquistic at Helsinki University should be ashamed to have his name on a book on the Grammer of Finland that is so out of date.
He has the resource to produce a new book...Couple of MSc students could do it..What does the department of linguistics do all day?
By the way..does anyone know if the guy who wrote " Handbook of Finnish Verbs"...Holman, Eugene is still active in update his work, he was talking about producing it on a searchable CDROM?

I read this recently..
http://www.6d.fi/portrait/page.2005-05-25.9814297803

I have a copy of Leila White's "A Grammar Book of Finnish".

I got it in September when it first appeared: €28.50 from Academic Bookshop in Turku (same price as the Finnish original).

Note that it deals primarily with the written standard language, but sometimes mentions spoken forms.

I have read about half of it now. This is a good reference book. I haven't looked at Karlson's book for a few years. White's is definitely better.

It gives lots of examples using everyday vocab and the explanations are thorough and well organized. I recommend it - if you're poor, check the local library and even suggest they get a copy if they don't yet have one.