ensimmäisten

Ensimmäisten is a Finnish word form that functions as the genitive plural of the adjective ensimmäinen, meaning “first.” It is used to express possession or a relationship to a subset of a larger group, translating roughly as “of the first [ones].” In Finnish, adjectives decline to agree with the noun they modify in number and case, so ensimmäisten appears before a head noun in a genitive plural context.

Usage of ensimmäisten typically occurs in phrases that identify a subset or a position within a group. Examples include seuraavia: ensimmäisten joukossa (among the first ones), ensimmäisten mielipiteet (the opinions of the first ones), and ensimmäisten oppilaiden tulokset (the results of the first students). The form is not a standalone noun; it is an inflected adjective that relies on a corresponding head noun.

Grammatical notes and etymology: ensimmäisten is formed from the stem of ensimmäinen with the genitive plural suffix -isten, a pattern that appears with adjectives ending in -inen when used to modify a plural noun in genitive. The corresponding nominative plural form is ensimmäiset. Other case forms of the same stem (for example, genitive singular pertama) occur in different grammatical contexts. This form is primarily encountered in descriptive or possessive phrases rather than as an independent lexical entry.

In sum, ensimmäisten is a specific inflected form used in Finnish to denote “of the first [ones]” and to link a plural noun to a broader group or subset within a sentence.