Pienimpiäkin

Pienimpiäkin is a Finnish intensifying construction built from the adjective pieni with the comparative suffix -mpi and the enclitic particle -kin. The form pienimpiäkin is used with the plural partitive and functions as a modifier meaning “the even smaller ones” or “even smaller options.” It expresses that among a group, there are items of a smaller size or degree than those already mentioned, adding emphasis or contrast.

Etymology and form: The base is pieni (small). The comparative is pienempi (smaller), and the plural partitive form is pienempiä. The particle -kin attaches to the whole phrase to provide emphasis, yielding pienimpiäkin. In standard usage, it appears before the noun it modifies, as in pienimpiäkin vaihtoehtoja.

Grammatical notes: The construction behaves like an ordinary adjective phrase but carries an extra nuance of inclusiveness and surprise. It agrees with the modified noun in number and case, typically appearing in the partitive plural form before a plural noun.

Usage and nuance: Pienimpiäkin is common in spoken Finnish and in descriptive writing, especially during enumerations or when stressing that even further extreme examples exist. It can convey mild hyperbole, playfulness, or a pragmatic emphasis on options, details, or sizes within a set.

Examples:

- Tarjolla on pienempiäkin vaihtoehtoja. (There are even smaller options available.)

- Valikoimassa on pienimpiäkin yksityiskohtia, joihin kannattaa kiinnittää huomiota. (There are even the tiniest details worth noting.)

- Pienimpiäkin mittasuhteita kannattaa tarkkailla. (Even the smallest scales should be observed.)

See also: -kin particle, Finnish grammar, comparative forms of adjectives.

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