kolmandast

Kolmandast is a grammatical form in Estonian, specifically the elative singular form of the ordinal adjective kolmas, meaning "the third." Like other adjectives in Estonian, kolmas declines to agree with the noun it modifies, and kolmandast is used when the noun is in the elative case (expressing source, origin, or starting point).

In practical use, kolmandast appears before a noun in its elative form. Common examples include kolmandast päevast (from the third day), kolmandast kuust (from the third month), and kolmandast osast (from the third section). These phrases indicate starting points or sources that originate from the third item or unit. The form also has a plural counterpart, kolmandatest, which would accompany plural nouns in the elative (for example, kolmandatest päevadest “from the third days,” though such constructions are less common in everyday language).

Morphology and usage notes:

- Kolmandast is the singular elative form; the plural elative form is kolmandatest.

- It functions like other ordinal adjectives in Estonian, modifying a noun that is placed in the elative case.

- It cannot stand alone as a complete noun; it requires a following noun in its elative case to convey a full meaning.

Etymology and related forms:

- Kolmandast is derived from the ordinal kolmas (the third), sharing its root with the cardinal number kolm (three). The elative suffix -st attaches to the feminine stem form of the ordinal to produce kolmandast.

See also: Estonian grammar, ordinal numbers, adjective declension.