Suurematest

Suurematest is an Estonian grammatical form rather than a standalone word. It is the elative plural form of the comparative adjective suurem, meaning “bigger” or “larger.” In use, suurematest precedes a plural noun in the elative case and conveys the sense of “from the bigger ones” or “of the larger ones.” It is commonly found in contexts that compare groups within a larger set.

Formation and usage: In Estonian, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in number and case. To form the elative plural of the comparative, the stem of the comparative suurem is combined with the elative plural suffix -test, yielding structures such as suurematest linnadest or suurematest probleemidest. Example translations include: suurematest linnadest = from the bigger cities; suurematest probleemidest = from bigger problems. The form signals source or selection from a subset defined by size.

Context and nuances: The suurematest construction is typical in more formal or written Estonian, especially in analyses, reports, or discourse that involves comparison among groups. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for alternative phrasing depending on register and clarity, but suurematest provides a precise way to indicate selection from the larger items within a plural set.

See also: Estonian grammar, elative case, comparative adjectives, list of Estonian inflection patterns.