kolmand

Kolmand is an Estonian ordinal numeral meaning “the third.” It is used to express order in a sequence and can function as an attributive adjective when modifying nouns or as part of predicate constructions describing position.

Etymology and forms: Kolmand is derived from the cardinal number kolm (three). In Estonian, ordinal numerals are declined, with kolmas as the nominative singular form, and the stem kolmand- appearing in a range of inflected forms such as kolmanda (genitive) and kolmandat (partitive). The base stem kolmand- is common in many case forms, while the exact ending changes to reflect grammatical case and number.

Usage: Common phrases include kolmas päev meaning “the third day” and kolmandal kohal meaning “in third place.” When counting occurrences, one says kolmandat korda to mean “the third time.” In date expressions, the form can appear in constructions like kolmandal päeval to indicate a time within a month or year.

See also: Other Estonian ordinal numerals include esimene (first) and teine (second), with kolmas (the base nominative form for “third”) being related. A related noun is kolmandik, meaning one third or a third part.

Notes: Kolmand and its declined forms are standard in formal and everyday Estonian when indicating order, sequences, or proportions. As with other ordinal numerals, the exact endings depend on grammatical case and number within the sentence.