vanhahtavampi

Vanhahtavampi is a Finnish comparative adjective formed from vanhahtava, which describes something that is old-fashioned or archaic in a nostalgic or quaint sense. It is used to compare levels of archaic quality between two objects, texts, or styles and is common in linguistic description, literary critique, and informal discussion.

Etymology and form: The base vanhahtava combines the root vanha- meaning "old" with the participial suffix -htava to convey a sense of "having an old-fashioned character." The comparative is formed with -mpi, yielding vanhahtavampi.

Usage and nuance: The term emphasizes stylistic qualities rather than objective age. It often carries a hint of irony or affection. It can describe prose, dialogue, fashion, music, or film that evokes older periods; the more old-fashioned, the more vanhahtavampi.

Esimerkkejä käytöstä:

- Tämä kirjoitustyli on vanhahtavampi kuin nykyaikaiset proosamuodot. (This writing style is more old-fashioned than modern prose.)

- Elokuvan dialogi on vanhahtavampi kuin monien nykyelokuvien. (The film’s dialogue is more old-fashioned than many contemporary films.)

Related terms: The base adjective is vanhahtava; related concepts include vanhahtavuus (the quality of being old-fashioned), along with synonyms such as nostalginen and arhaistuva.