Breakdown of Nelikko saapui ajoissa, mutta viisikko myöhästyi.
mutta
but
ajoissa
on time
saapua
to arrive
myöhästyä
to be late
nelikko
quartet
viisikko
quintet
Questions & Answers about Nelikko saapui ajoissa, mutta viisikko myöhästyi.
How do the words nelikko and viisikko use the -kko suffix?
The suffix -kko creates a noun meaning a group, set, or cluster. When attached to number stems, it creates words for specific group sizes. Here, neljä (four) becomes nelikko (a group of four, or quartet) and viisi (five) becomes viisikko (a group of five, or quintet).
Why does the stem of neljä change to neli- to form nelikko?
When building derived words from numbers, the stem often uses an -i at the end. For neljä, the final -ä drops out and is replaced by -i, giving the stem neli-. Because viisi already ends in -i, its stem simply stays as viisi-.
Are words like nelikko and viisikko only used for musical groups or people?
They are much more versatile than the English words 'quartet' or 'quintet'! While often used for groups of people (like a trio of friends, kolmikko), they can refer to animals or even inanimate objects. For example, a small group of six spruce trees is a kuusikko, and Enid Blyton's 'Famous Five' book series is known in Finland simply as Viisikko.
Grammar refresher: Why is the word for 'on time' in the plural inessive case (ajoissa)?
Ajoissa is a highly common, fixed adverb meaning 'on time' or 'early enough'. Grammatically, it is indeed the plural inessive form of aika (time), literally translating to 'in times'. You have to memorize it as a fixed phrase, as you cannot translate 'on time' word-for-word into Finnish.
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