starí

Starí is the masculine plural nominative form of the Slovak adjective starý, meaning old or aged. It describes masculine plural nouns, for example starí ľudia (old people) or starí rodičia (grandparents). In Slovak, adjectives decline by gender and number, so the other forms of starý include starý (masculine singular), stará (feminine singular), and staré (neuter singular), with different endings for other cases in the plural as well. The comparative form is starší and the superlative is najstarší.

Etymology and cognates: Starý derives from Proto-Slavic *starъ and has cognates across Slavic languages, such as Czech staří, Polish starzy, and Russian starye, all sharing the same root meaning.

Usage and nuance: In modern Slovak, starí is commonly used to denote age in a general sense or to describe elderly people or objects considered old. It appears in everyday expressions like starí ľudia and starí rodičia. The term can carry neutral or affectionate connotations depending on context and tone. For formal or neutral references to age groups, other terms such as seniori may be used in certain contexts.

Related forms: The root star- also appears in the comparative starší and the superlative najstarší. The feminine and neuter forms adhere to standard declension patterns in Slovak, while the masculine plural nominative form remains starí.

Notes: While starí is primarily Slovak, closely related forms exist in other Slavic languages, offering parallel meanings such as “old” or “elder” in corresponding grammatical contexts.