# muu kuin vain



## Gavril

I'm not sure I understand the following sentence:

_Ne ovat yleisempiäkin muulla väestöllä kuin vain porvoolaisilla._

How is _vain _functioning in this sentence? To me, _vain _(like English "only") implies a contrast between a thing by itself (_vain porvoolaiset_) with a larger group including that thing (_koko väestö, _sisältäen porvoolaiset). However, here it looks like _vain porvoolaiset_ is being contrasted with _muu väestö _(ei sisältäen porvoolaisia).

Does anyone understand this use of _vain_?

Kiitos


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## hui

Gavril said:


> I'm not sure I understand the following sentence:
> 
> _Ne ovat yleisempiäkin muulla väestöllä kuin vain porvoolaisilla._
> 
> How is _vain _functioning in this sentence? To me, _vain _(like English "only") implies a contrast between a thing by itself (_vain porvoolaiset_) with a larger group including that thing (_koko väestö, _sisältäen porvoolaiset). However, here it looks like _vain porvoolaiset_ is being contrasted with _muu väestö _(ei sisältäen porvoolaisia).
> 
> Does anyone understand this use of _vain_?



I think the *-kin* is in the wrong word. It should probably be:
_Ne ovat yleisempiä__ muulla*kin* väestöllä kuin vain porvoolaisilla._

"They are more common also in the rest of the population and not only in [the people in] Porvoo."


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## Grumpy Old Man

The _kin  _suffix is in the right place if it is where the author wants it to be, in other words if the intended meaning is "they are *even* more common." _Vain_, on the other hand, serves no real purpose in the sentence and could simply be left out without any change in meaning.

GOM


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## hui

Grumpy Old Man said:


> The _kin  _suffix is in the right place if it is where the author wants it to be, in other words if the intended meaning is "they are *even* more common." _Vain_, on the other hand, serves no real purpose in the sentence and could simply be left out without any change in meaning.



If the intended meaning is that, then _vain_ must be left out, I think.


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