vakavammaksi

Vakavammaksi is a Finnish grammatical form that expresses a change toward a more serious state. It functions as the comparative of the adjective vakava when used in constructions that denote becoming or turning into a more serious condition. The form is commonly encountered with verbs that describe a change of state, such as tulla or muuttua.

Formation and use: vakavammaksi is formed from the stem of vakava with the suffix -mmaksi, resulting in a contrast with the ordinary comparative vakavampi. The double m arises from the phonological combination of the stem ending in -va and the -mmaksi suffix. In practice, it is used in predicative clauses to indicate a transition, for example: Tilanne tuli vakavammaksi (The situation became more serious) or Keskustelu kävi vakavammaksi (The discussion grew more serious). It is not typically used to modify a noun directly in attributive position; for that purpose, the ordinary comparative vakavampi is used (tilanne on vakavampi kuin ennen).

Distinction and nuances: Vakavammaksi emphasizes the progression or intensification of seriousness, rather than a static degree. In contrast, vakavampi is used to compare two instances of seriousness in a static sense (The situation is more serious than before). The -mmaksi form therefore belongs to the subset of Finnish modifiers that express change of state, often following verbs like tulla, muuttua, käydä, or tulla esiin.

Notes on usage: Vakavammaksi appears more frequently in written or formal contexts, such as news reporting or analytical prose, where a shift in seriousness is being described. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for vakavampi, depending on the sentence structure and focus.