Sügisese

Sügisese is an Estonian word that functions as the genitive singular form of the adjective sügisene, meaning autumnal or relating to autumn. The base adjective sügisene describes things associated with autumn, such as weather, colors, moods, or events.

Sügisese occurs when the noun it modifies is in the genitive case or in grammatical constructions that require the genitive. In practice, it is most often found in literary or formal prose and less commonly in everyday speech, where the nominative form sügisene is typically used for descriptive purposes.

Etymology and form: sügisese is derived from sügis (autumn) with the common Estonian suffix -ene to form an adjective meaning autumnal, and the genitive singular ending -se. This pattern is characteristic of adjectives ending in -ene in Estonian.

Usage notes: Estonian adjectives agree with the noun in case and number, so sügisese appears specifically in contexts involving a genitive noun. It is not a separate lexical item with a meaning beyond “autumnal,” but a grammatical inflection of sügisene. In contemporary language, sügisene is more common in non-genitive contexts, while sügisese appears in more formal, poetic, or emphatic descriptions of autumnal qualities.

Examples of use: sügisese ilmaga (with autumn weather); sügisese värvusega (with autumn colors). These phrases illustrate how the form functions in standard Estonian to convey autumn-related characteristics within genitive constructions.