Katastrofin

Katastrofin is a word form that appears in some Finnic and North Germanic languages as a form of the noun meaning catastrophe. It is not commonly used as a standalone term in English, where the standard translation is catastrophe.

In Finnish, katastrofi designates a catastrophe; katastrofin is the genitive singular, used to express 'of the catastrophe' or in phrases like katastrofin vaikutus ('the impact of the catastrophe') and katastrofin seuraukset ('the consequences of the catastrophe'). Finnish does not have a definite article; the suffix -in marks possession or relation.

In other languages with definite-noun endings or older registers, katastrofin may appear as a definite form or as part of compounds, but standard usage differs: Swedish and Norwegian typically use katastrofen for 'the catastrophe' rather than katastrofin. The form and spelling vary by language and era.

Origin: from Ancient Greek katastrophē via Latin catastrophis, with cognates in many languages. Related terms include catastrophe (English) and catastrophic (adjective).