se, demonstrative pronoun

From Proto-Finnic se, from Proto-Uralic śe. For plural forms, see etymology of ne. The oblique stem si- is seen in some forms and is also found in other Finnic languages, such as the following cognates of the partitive singular sitä: Karelian sitä, Livvi sittäh, Veps sidä, Votic sitä. This is possibly a remnant of the original expected form *si (due to final e > i) which was reversed in some forms, possibly as influence from the plural ne. The stem sii- seen in internal locative case forms may have been generalized from the plural forms as a means to distinguish from partitive/essive sitä, sinä; expected internal locative cases sissä, sistä may have been avoided as a dissimilation. Compare Veps siš (inessive singular of se).