THE ADJECTIVE.
Reading edition
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.