Kolmekordsed

Kolmekordsed is an Estonian term meaning threefold or three times as large. It functions as an adjective and, in its plural form kolmekordsed, to describe multiple threefold entities. The basic form is kolmekordne; kolmekordsed is used before plural nouns (for example, kolmekordsed kasvud would refer to threefold increases). In mathematical and statistical language, kolmekordne denotes a multiplier of three, so if a value is kolmekordne another, it equals 3 × the original.

In practical usage, kolmekordne is used to describe growth, amounts, or comparisons that have tripled. Common phrases include kolmekordne kasv (threefold growth) or kolmekordne summa (threefold amount). The plural form kolmekordsed appears when talking about several items or cases that are each threefold, such as kolmekordsed hinnangud (threefold estimates) or kolmekordsed mõju, depending on context.

Etymology: the word is built from kolm (three) and kord (time/occurrence) with the adjectival suffix -ne, and its plural form -sed marks kolmekordsed as plural. Related terms are kolmekordne (threefold, singular) and kolmekordne kasv, kolmekordse mõju, used in varying grammatical constructions.

Kolmekordsed is primarily a descriptive term used in formal and semi-formal Estonian to quantify or qualify phenomena that have increased or multiplied by three. It occupies a similar semantic space to the English “threefold,” though idiomatic usage may differ across contexts.