37. Adjective + PNG suffix

நல்ல (good), கெட்ட (bad/wicked), பெரிய (big), சின்ன (small), இளம் (young) and other simple adjectives can combine with PNG suffixes (அ)ன், (அ)ள், (அ)ர், (அ)ர்கள், (அ)து to make nouns too.

Adjective + PNG suffix translates as: ‘that which is adjective, one that is adjective, a/the adjective one.’

For example:

  • நல்லவள் – a / the female (girl/woman) that is good, a / the good female (girl/woman)
  • கெட்டவன் – a/ the male (boy/man) that is bad, a/ the bad male (boy/man)
  • பெரியது – that which is big, a / the object / animal that is big
  • சின்னவர்கள் – they who are small, the small ones
  • இளைஞர்கள் – they who are young, the young ones, youth