Definition & Meaning of "partitive case"

What is the "partitive case"?

The partitive case is a grammatical case used to indicate a part of something or an incomplete quantity. It often expresses the idea of "some" or "a part of" in relation to an object or substance. This case is commonly found in languages such as Finnish and Estonian, where it changes the form of nouns to show partiality. For example, in Finnish, the word for "water" is "vesi," and in the partitive case, it becomes "vettä," meaning "some water." The partitive case helps clarify that only a portion or indefinite amount of something is being referred to.