Heikompaa

Heikompaa is a Finnish grammatical form that serves as the partitive singular of the comparative adjective heikompi, meaning “weaker.” The base adjective heikko means weak, and the comparative form heikompi denotes a greater degree of weakness. When the comparison requires the partitive case, the form becomes heikompaa. This usage is common in various syntactic environments, such as after verbs that govern the partitive or in clauses expressing indefinite quantity or degree, as well as in negative constructions.

Etymology and morphology: The word is built from the stem of heikko, with the comparative suffix -mpi to form heikompi, and the partitive singular ending -a/-ä to yield heikompaa. This pattern reflects Finnish adjective inflection, where mood, number, and case affect the ending of the comparative form in particular contexts.

Usage: Heikompaa is widely used in both everyday speech and formal writing to indicate that something is comparatively weaker or less strong than another reference point. Its appearance is typically tied to constructions that require partitive case or to phrases emphasizing degree.

Examples:

- Se on heikompaa kuin viime kerralla. (It is weaker than last time.)

- Tämä ratkaisu on heikompaa kuin aiempi. (This solution is weaker than the previous one.)

See also: heikko, heikompi, Finnish grammar, partitive case.