Ebaasjakohased

Ebaasjakohased is a neutral Estonian adjective used to describe statements, data, or arguments that are not relevant or not applicable to the matter being discussed. In English, it can be translated as irrelevant or inapposite. The term is commonly found in academic writing, journalism, and analytical discourse where precision about relevance is important.

The word is formed from the negating prefix eba- and asjakohane, meaning relevant or appropriate. Thus ebaasjakohased literally conveys “not relevant.” The standard inflection follows Estonian adjective patterns: ebaasjakohane (singular, neuter or general), ebaasjakohased (plural), with other forms adapting to case and number.

Ebaasjakohased is typically used to flag elements that do not address the central hypothesis, question, or topic. It can apply to facts, data sets, arguments, or interpretations. In professional writing, it serves as a concise evaluative label without spelling out all shortcomings. For example, a researcher might note that “ebaasjakohased andmed” (irrelevant data) were presented, or a commentator might argue that “see väide on ebaasjakohane” (that claim is irrelevant).

Nuance and alternatives: while ebaasjakohased conveys irrelevance, it is relatively strong and potentially evaluative. In more neutral contexts, speakers may prefer phrases like mitte asjakohane or mitte asjakohaseks peetav, depending on the tone and audience. Related concepts include asjakohasus (relevance) and sobivus (suitability).