íssima

íssima is a suffix in Portuguese used to form the superlative absolute of adjectives. It intensifies the quality of the adjective without necessarily comparing it to anything else. For example, when added to the adjective "feliz" (happy), it becomes "felicíssima," meaning extremely happy. Similarly, "grande" (big) becomes "grandíssima" (very big), and "frio" (cold) becomes "friíssima" (extremely cold).

The formation of issíma often involves dropping the final vowel of the adjective and adding the suffix. However, there are some spelling changes that occur to maintain pronunciation. For adjectives ending in "-vel," the "-vel" is usually replaced by "-bilíssima." For example, "amável" (lovable) becomes "amabilíssima" (most lovable). Adjectives ending in "-az" change to "-acíssima," such as "capaz" (capable) becoming "capacíssima" (most capable). Adjectives ending in "-ão," "-im," or "-um" might have different transformations, often involving vowel changes before the suffix is added.

The superlative absolute formed with issíma is a common and expressive feature of the Portuguese language, allowing for nuanced descriptions of qualities. It is used in both formal and informal contexts to emphasize the degree of an adjective's meaning.