Antonüümidena

Antonüümidena is Estonian for “as antonyms” and refers to a grammatical construction used to indicate that a word is being presented in its role as an opposite in meaning. The word antonüüm means antonym, and the suffix -ena marks the instrumental, or the sense of “as …” in Estonian. Thus antonüümidena literally means “as antonyms.”

In linguistic and lexicographic contexts, antonüümidena is used to list or describe the opposites of a given term. It is not a separate word with its own independent meaning, but a case form that shows function: the term to be opposed is given, followed by antonüümidena and the opposing term or terms. For example: Sõna "kõrge" antonüümidena on "madal." Another common pair is Sõna "valge" antonüümidena on "must." These constructions are typical in dictionaries, language guides, and scholarly descriptions when detailing semantic opposites.

Origin-wise, antonüüm is a loanword from the broader linguistic tradition, built from Greek roots anti- “opposite” and onoma “name.” The instrumental suffix -ena is a standard Estonian grammatical ending used to express role or function, as in other constructions like prokats-ena or töötajana.

Usage notes: antonüümidena is primarily a formal, analytic device found in lexicography and linguistic exposition. In ordinary prose, speakers and writers usually state opposites directly without employing the instrumental form. See also: antonym, synonym, linguistic description.