# kääntää palsta



## Gavril

Iltaa,

What does "kääntää palsta" mean in contexts such as this (source)?



> Aloin kääntää palstaa maa-artisokkien luota.



"I began to turn[?] the plot of land [away?] from land-artichokes."

Also, can "kääntää palsta" be used in other senses than the one above (i.e., in a non-agricultural sense)?

Kiitos


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## Hakro

Gavril said:


> "I began to turn the plot of land near land-artichokes."
> 
> Also, can "kääntää palsta" be used in other senses than the one above (i.e., in a non-agricultural sense)?


Yes, it can also mean "to translate a column".


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## Gavril

Hakro said:


> Yes, it can also mean "to translate a column".



Thanks, but what does _kääntää palsta _mean in an agricultural context?

I've never heard the phrase "turn a plot of land" in English, though that may just be because I don't have a farming background.


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## Hakro

In an agricultural context _kääntää palsta _means to turn or dig a certain area of land with a shovel. The reason is the same as for ploughing/plowing a field on a farm: to make the soil looser and lighter and help the plants to grow up. _

Palsta_ can mean either a whole plot of land or a part of it. Usually it's not a large area, except for _metsäpalsta_ that can be several hectares.


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## Gavril

Hakro said:


> In an agricultural context _kääntää palsta _means to turn or dig a certain area of land with a shovel. The reason is the same as for ploughing/plowing a field on a farm: to make the soil looser and lighter and help the plants to grow up. _
> 
> Palsta_ can mean either a whole plot of land or a part of it. Usually it's not a large area, except for _metsäpalsta_ that can be several hectares.



Ah, I've actually heard the phrase "to turn over a piece of land" in English (I've never heard it used without the word "over"). I think this phrase refers to the same basic action as _kääntää palsta_, though I'll have to ask some more agriculturally-minded English speakers to confirm.


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## Hakro

My dictionary says _kääntää maata_ = dig, turn (without "over").


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## akana

Gavril said:


> Ah, I've actually heard the phrase "to turn over a piece of land" in English (I've never heard it used without the word "over"). I think this phrase refers to the same basic action as _kääntää palsta_, though I'll have to ask some more agriculturally-minded English speakers to confirm.



To "turn the soil" is a common phrase, and usually used without the word "over." The phrase is probably a carryover from the action of a bottom plow, which, as you watch it work, literally peels up a row of soil and flops it over upside down. Then farmers use a "disc" to chop up the strip of turned soil into finer particles. Nowadays, the phrase is used for much smaller tasks in small vegetable gardens etc..


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