vähä

Vähä is a term found in Finnish linguistics as a historical or dialectal form related to the idea of smallness. In standard contemporary Finnish, the word is not productive and is seldom used outside dialects, older literature, or linguistic discussion. Modern Finnish typically expresses small quantity or size with the adjectives vähäinen and the adverb vähän, rather than the standalone form vähä.

Etymology and related forms: vähä is understood as a root connected to the Proto-Finnic element often linked to meanings of “small” or “few.” Related forms appear in neighboring Finnic languages, notably Estonian, where vähe means “little” or “few.” The Finnish form vähä is thus regarded as a historical or dialectal cognate rather than a common part of the contemporary language.

Usage and notes: Because vähä is not a standard, productive word in modern Finnish, its appearance is mainly in linguistic discussions, old texts, or regional speech. When present, it tends to function as an attributive modifier in contexts that aim to convey smallness or scarcity, but such usage is not typical in everyday contemporary Finnish. For most readers and writers, synonyms such as vähäinen (small) or vähän (a little) are preferred.

See also: Finnish dialects, Finnish morphology, Estonian vähe, Proto-Finnic languages.