Monikkomääre

Monikkomääre is a Finnish grammatical term that translates to "plural attribute" or "plural modifier." It refers to a word or phrase that modifies a noun and agrees with that noun in number, specifically when the noun is in the plural. This is a common feature in many inflected languages, including Finnish.

In Finnish, when a noun is plural, any adjective, pronoun, or numeral modifying it must also take a plural form. For example, the singular phrase "punainen talo" (red house) becomes "punaiset talot" (red houses). Here, "punaiset" is the monikkomääre, agreeing with the plural noun "talot." This agreement is a fundamental aspect of Finnish syntax.

This concept is not unique to Finnish. Many Indo-European languages exhibit similar phenomena. For instance, in Spanish, "la casa roja" (the red house) becomes "las casas rojas" (the red houses), where "rojas" is the plural attribute. The presence and form of a monikkomääre depend on the specific grammatical rules of the language in question. Understanding monikkomääre is crucial for correct Finnish grammar and for comprehending how number agreement functions in the language. It signifies a relationship of concordance between a modifier and the noun it describes, ensuring grammatical correctness and clarity in plural constructions.