vanemaks

Vanemaks is an Estonian grammatical form, the translative form of the adjective vanem, meaning older or elder. It is used to express a change of state, especially in constructions with saama (to become) or muutuma (to become). In other words, vanemaks marks what someone or something is becoming.

Usage typically occurs after a verb of becoming. Common constructions include saada vanemaks (to become older) and muutuda vanemaks (to grow older). Examples: Ta sai vanemaks. (He became older.) Ta on vanemaks saanud. (He has become older.) Ta muutus vanemaks. (He grew older.) These phrases show that vanemaks functions as the complement in the translative case after the verb.

Morphologically, vanemaks is not a separate adjective used independently; it is the translative form of vanem. The root vanem itself also has other senses: as an adjective meaning older or elder, and as a noun meaning parent (vanem, with plural vanemad). The two uses can be distinguished by context, since the noun and adjective forms are related but appear in different syntactic roles.

Semantically, vanemaks can refer to physical aging, such as getting older with time, or to metaphorical maturation, including gaining experience or responsibility. The distinction between literal age and figurative aging is made through context and accompanying verbs.

See also: vanem (noun, meaning parent) and vanem (adjective, meaning older).