kiiremaks

Kiiremaks is a grammatical form in Estonian used to express a change into a state described by the adjective kiire (fast). The form is created by attaching the translative suffix -aks to the comparative kiirem, yielding kiiremaks. It typically occurs with verbs that denote becoming something, most commonly muutuma (to become).

In use, kiiremaks emphasizes the resulting state of being faster rather than a straightforward comparison. A typical example is auto muutus kiiremaks, meaning “the car became faster.” The construction is common in contexts discussing performance improvements, speed upgrades, or evaluative descriptions of efficiency.

Kiiremaks is part of the broader system of Estonian adjective forms, including the base kiire (fast) and the comparative kiirem (faster). It shares the translative case’s function of indicating a transition into a new state or condition. While kiirem is used for direct qualitative comparison, kiiremaks specifically marks the metamorphosis into the faster state.

See also: Estonian grammar, translative case, comparative degree; kiire (fast), kiirem (faster).