Tummemmaksi

Tummemmaksi is a Finnish grammatical form used to express that something becomes darker. It is the translative form of the comparative adjective tumma, literally meaning “to become darker” or “darker (in a changing state).” In Finnish, the translative case -ksi marks a change into a new state, while the comparative suffix -empi yields tummempi (“darker”). When these elements combine, tummemmaksi denotes the process or outcome of growing darker.

Forming tummemmaksi follows the sequence tumma → tummempi → tummemmaksi. The form is used with verbs that describe change, such as muuttua (“to become”) or tulla (“to become”). For example: “Väri muuttui tummemmaksi.” “Ilta laskee ja maisema muuttuu tummemmaksi.” In practice, tummemmaksi describes a transition or progression rather than a static attribute, and is common in descriptive or literary contexts dealing with color, light, or atmosphere.

Etymology: the word is built from tumma (“dark”) + comparative suffix -empi to form tummempi (“darker”), with the translative ending -ksi to indicate change into that state. See also related forms such as tumma, tummentua, and other color-related adjectives.