adjektiivipäätteinen

Adjektiivipäätteinen is a Finnish grammatical term that refers to words that function as adjectives because they end in the adjective‑forming suffix –inen. This suffix attaches to a noun root or another base form and creates an adjective that denotes a characteristic, relation, or quality of the noun it modifies. For example, from the noun kulta “gold” the adjective kultainen is derived, meaning “golden”, and from the noun kukka “flower” the adjective kukkainen is made, meaning “filled with flowers” or “flower‑like”. The –inen ending is one of the most frequent adjective suffixes in Finnish and is used to express a wide range of semantic nuances, such as material, origin, and resemblance.

Morphologically, an adjektiivipäätteinen word consists of three parts: a noun root, the suffix –inen, and the appropriate inflectional endings for case, number, and animacy. The root may undergo consonant gradation or vowel harmony adjustments, and the placement of the stress is usually on the penultimate syllable. The suffix is considered productive; new words can be formed by adding –inen to newly coined nouns or borrowed roots.

Historically, the –inen suffix originates from Proto‑Finnic *‑jan and *‑a, and it has been in use in Finnish for many centuries. It distinguishes itself from other adjective endings such as –i, –si, and –inen, each carrying slightly different semantics. While –inen often signals a straightforward relation or quality, –i can denote smallness or affection, and –si indicates similarity or likeness. Adjektiivipäätteinen words play a significant role in Finnish morphology and are a key element in the language’s rich system of word formation.