kumulatiivisen

Kumulatiivisen is the genitive singular form of the Finnish adjective kumulatiivinen, which means cumulative or relating to accumulation. The adjective describes something that builds up or increases over time or through a sequence. In Finnish, kumulatiivinen is used to modify a noun, and its form changes to agree with the noun's case and number. For example, kumulatiivisen vaikutuksen means “the effect of the cumulative [something],” with the noun vaikutus in genitive.

Usage and contexts

Kumulatiivinen is common in scientific, statistical, and data-processing language, as well as in everyday speech. It is used to describe quantities, effects, or processes that accumulate. Typical phrases include kumulatiivinen summa (cumulative sum) and kumulatiivinen jakauma (cumulative distribution). The term can also describe long-term or accumulated impacts, such as kumulatiivisen vaikutuksen suuruus (the magnitude of the cumulative effect) or kumulatiivisen prosessin eteneminen (the progression of a cumulative process).

Etymology and related forms

The Finnish kumulatiivinen is borrowed from Latin cumulativus and has entered Finnish technical vocabulary likely via Swedish or English. The base form kumulatiivinen is used with nominative nouns, while kumulatiivisen marks the genitive singular, allowing phrases like kumulatiivisen vaikutuksen.

Notes on grammar

Finnish adjectives decline to match the noun in number and case. The nominative singular form is kumulatiivinen; the genitive singular form is kumulatiivisen; plural forms include kumulatiiviset (nominative) and kumulatiivisten (genitive). In sentences, the choice of form depends on the noun’s role in the clause.

See also: kumulatiivinen summa, kumulatiivinen jakauma.