THE ADJECTIVE.
Adjectives are declined exactly like substantives, and like them have no gender.
Besides declension they are susceptible of inflections indicating the comparative and superlative degrees.
I. The Comparative is formed by adding to the root of the positive -mpa or -mpä. Huono, bad, huonompa, worse; paksu, fat, paksumpa, fatter. Root, iloise, gay (nominative of positive iloinen), comparative iloisempa.
If a dissyllabic root end in a or ä, that vowel becomes e before the termination mpa. Vanha, old, vanhempa ([13]).
It is important to note that the suffix -mpa is added to the root, and not to the nominative of the positive.
The stem thus formed is declined with the usual suffixes, after the models given above: mpa in the nominative sing. becomes mpi, and in the cases where the syllable is closed mma.
II. The Superlative is formed by adding to the root of the positive the suffix impa. Before this suffix the vowels a, ä, e, i are rejected, and aa, ää, ee, become ai, äi, ei. Thus iso, great, isoimpa: huono, bad, huonoimpa; but köyhä, köyhimpä, valkea, valkeimpa, etc.
The root thus obtained is declined after the third declension. Notice the difference in the declension of comparatives and superlatives. In the comparative the final a becomes i in the nominative sing., in the superlative it is lost and mp becomes n by rule [2].
Comparative stem suurempa. Superlative stem suurimpa.
| Sing. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | suurempi | suurin |
| Gen. | suuremman | suurimman |
| Part. | suurempaa (ta) | suurimpaa, suurinta |
| Ill. | suurempaan | suurimpaan |
| Ess. | suurempana | suurimpana, suurinna |
| etc. | etc. | |
| Plur. | ||
| Nom. | suuremmat | suurimmat |
| Gen. | [suurempaen] suurempain | suurinten, suurimpain suurimpien |
| Part. | suurempia | suurimpia |
| etc. | etc. | |
Examples of the formation of the comparative and superlative.
| Positive. | Comparative. | Superlative. |
|---|---|---|
| vanha, old | vanhempi ([11]) | vanhin |
| raaka, raw | raaempi ([28], [9]) | raain ([28]) |
| vapaa, free | vapaampi | vapain |
| ihava, fat | lihavampi | lihavin |
| köyhä, poor | köyhempi ([11]) | köyhin |
| terävä, sharp | terävämpi | terävin |
| suruinen, sorrowful | suruisempi | suruisin |
| lyhyt, short | lyhyempi | lyhyin |
| aulis, liberal | auliimpi | auliin |
| paksu, fat | paksumpi | paksuin |
| mieto, mild | miedompi ([32]) | miedoin |
| rikas, rich | rikkaampi | rikkain |
| kaunis, beautiful | kauniimpi | kauniin, kaunein |
| oppinut, learned | oppineempi | oppinein |
The following words are irregular, the comparative and superlative being formed from different roots to the positive.
| Positive. | Comparative. | Superlative. |
|---|---|---|
| hyvä, good | parempi | paras, parhain (root paraa) |
| paljo, much | enempi | enin |
| pitkä, long | pitempi | pisin (as if from root pitä) |
| moni, many | useampi | usein |
Molemmat, both, is an isolated comparative form.
The following adjectives are not declined or compared, but remain invariable in all cases.—Aika, strong; aimo, good; kelpo, worthy; eri, different; koko, all; ensi, next; viime, last; pikku, little. Kaikki, all, is not usually changed in the nominative plural, but otherwise is declined.