Ühislikele

Ühislikele is an Estonian grammatical form derived from the adjective ühislik, meaning “common” or “shared.” It is the plural allative form used when the noun it modifies is plural and appears in the allative case, which in Estonian conveys direction toward or for someone or something. In practice, ühislikele is a way to say “to the common ones” or “for the common [things/people]” when describing a plural noun phrase.

Morphology and usage

In Estonian, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify by number and case. The plural allative form of the adjective takes the ending that corresponds to the allative plural, resulting in ühislikele before a plural allative noun. This form is most likely to appear in formal, policy-related, or academic texts where collective or public aspects are being discussed. It signals that the action or reference is oriented toward a group or shared purpose rather than a single entity.

Context and examples

The form is typically found in expressions such as ühislike eesmärkidele (for common goals) or ühislike ressursside kasutamiseks (for the use of shared resources). These constructions emphasize collective aims or public goods rather than individual interests. It is not a standalone concept, but a grammatical inflection used to express a collective target in Estonian prose.

Etymology

The form combines the root ühis-, meaning “shared,” with the adjectival ending -lik and the allative plural ending -e, yielding ühislikele in appropriate contexts.

See also

Estonian grammar; Estonian adjectives; allative case.