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Questions & Answers about Johtaja saapui vartijoineen.
How exactly is vartijoineen built from the base word vartija?
First, we take the plural stem of vartija, which is vartijoi-. Next, we add the comitative ending -ne, giving us vartijoine-. Finally, because the comitative case always requires a possessive suffix, we add the third-person suffix -en (his/her/their) to get vartijoineen.
Since it uses the plural stem, does vartijoineen always mean "with his guards" (plural)?
Actually, it could mean "with his guard" (singular) or "with his guards" (plural). The comitative case is always built on the plural stem regardless of how many things or people there are. Context usually tells you the meaning. If you need to be strictly clear that there is only one guard, you would use the postposition kanssa instead (vartijansa kanssa).
Why is the possessive suffix here -en instead of the usual -nsa for "his"?
The third-person possessive suffix has two forms: -nsa/-nsä or -Vn (lengthening the last vowel and adding n). Because the comitative ending -ne ends in a short vowel, the -Vn form is used. The e is lengthened, resulting in -en.
Is the comitative case used often in everyday conversations?