Kuolla + illative

[Bavarian]

As an English speaker, I'd think that the verb kuolla, meaning to die (of), would logically use something like the genitive or maybe the adessive case, since the adessive is taking the place of the instrumental. But today comes a reminder that kuolla in fact uses the illative:

Suomalaismies kuoli ilokaasuun kesken seksileikkien

Go ahead, make fun of me again for getting a kick out of the tabloids, but they present the grammar in real-life examples far more entertainingly than the "serious" media.

[AldenG]

Kuolla is like English "succumb" in that respect. Whenever I think something is cocked up in Finnish, I usually manage to find something in English that works almost the same way.

[AldenG]

These sex-related laughing gas deaths used to occur more often in the US a few decades back. I think maybe there's more awareness of the dangers these days, or maybe it's harder to get the stuff as dentists use less of it now.

[Upphew]

or maybe it's harder to get the stuff as dentists use less of it now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nitro ... 0_x_8g.jpg

[Jukka Aho]

It’s no laughing matter. :(

[Upphew]

It’s no laughing matter.

Homostelu on miesten hommia.

[Rob A.]

Oh well....

Yksin syntynyt....yksin kuolet ...välissä kärsit ....ellei sinulla on ilokaasu....

[AldenG]

or maybe it's harder to get the stuff as dentists use less of it now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nitro ... 0_x_8g.jpg

OK, but in the same article that contains the photo, it states "As only medical staff and dentists today are legally allowed to buy the pure gas, the recreational use is also believed to be somewhat limited. " Of course it also talks about parties not being uncommon where a medical professional provides the gas.

Still, in the first half of the last century, anybody could buy the stuff in the US, unlike today. I'll bet it's restricted in Finland, too.

[Pursuivant]

Peculiarily, there is a distinct word "hukkua" used for drowning, but its also used of things going missing even they dont drop in the water. A person can also "menettää henkensä" and is "out of breath" - permanently.