vähene

Vähene is a term that appears in discussions of Finnic languages but is not a standard lemma in Finnish or Estonian. In most modern dictionaries, there is no entry for "vähene" as a standalone verb or adjective. When it appears in linguistic commentary, it is typically treated as a nonstandard, dialectal, or hypothetical form related to words meaning “small” or “to decrease.”

Etymology and cognates: The root “väh-” exists in Finnish in words such as vähäinen, meaning “small, meager.” The form “vähene” could be interpreted as a hypothetical stem or as a mistaken variant of the standard forms “vähenee” (it decreases) or “vähentää” (to decrease). In Estonian, related lexical fields use väike meaning “small,” but “vähene” is not a standard Estonian word. Thus, any occurrence is usually considered nonstandard.

Usage and context: In contemporary Finnish writing, speakers would use “vähenee” for “it decreases” or “vähentää” for “to decrease.” If “vähene” appears, it is often in dialect writing, learner errors, or in constructed examples illustrating morphology, rather than in neutral prose. Some corpora or language‑learning materials may present “vähene” as an instructional primitive to discuss the idea of a root meaning “small” or “decrease.”

See also: Finnish language, Estonian language, Finnish morphology.