Najstarí

Najstarí is the masculine plural nominative form of the Slovak adjective starý in the superlative degree, formed with the prefix naj- to mean “the oldest.” It is used before masculine plural nouns to designate the oldest members of a group or the oldest items in a set.

Etymology and related forms: The word derives from the Slavic root star- meaning old. The superlative prefix naj- is common across Slavic languages, producing cognates such as Polish najstarsi and Czech nejstarší. In Slovak, other gender and number forms of the same adjective exist (for example, najstarší in singular or feminine/neuter forms), reflecting standard noun–adjective agreement rules.

Usage: Najstarí appears in contexts describing the oldest individuals or objects within a masculine plural reference. It is an attributive adjective, typically preceding the noun, and does not function as a standalone noun. Examples include: “Najstarí muži v klube sa stretli” (The oldest men in the club gathered) or “Najstarí obyvatelia mesta” (The oldest inhabitants of the town). In sentences, the form agrees with the noun in gender and number, so it complements masculine plural nouns.

Notes: The term is primarily a grammatical and lexical descriptor rather than a proper name. It is commonly employed in everyday Slovak, literature, journalism, and academic writing when identifying the oldest members of a group or the oldest items in a collection.

See also: starý, slovak adjective inflection, comparatives and superlatives in Slovak grammar.