Description:

The suffix -(y)s converts a term into a modifier. The glossing abbreviation is MOD. The modifier is considered to reflect a neutral essence of the term, but in practice the interpretation of the modifier derived with -ys leans more towards the noun interpretation of the term, if it has any significant noun interpretation. The way the derived modifier is interpreted can be highly idiomatic and there can also be multiple possible meanings in regular use.

There is a special phonological rule to using -(y)s: If the term it applies to ends in a vowel, drop the 'y'. This does not apply with words ending in a diphthong. So, 'pikkis', 'devious and lazy', from 'pikki', 'cat', but 'lytys', 'boxy' from 'lyt', 'box' and 'hitajys', 'sleepy', from 'hitaj', 'sleep'.