Ebamäärase

Ebamäärase is the genitive singular form of the Estonian adjective ebamäärane, which means vague or imprecise. The word describes statements, measurements, or data that lack precision or clarity. In usage, ebamäärase appears when referring to a vague attribute of a noun in contexts where the noun is in the genitive case, such as in possessive or descriptive phrases.

Etymology and meaning: The term is built from the prefix eb- meaning not, and määrane meaning definite or certain, derived from the root määr- related to determining or specifying. Ebamäärane literally signifies “not definite,” hence lacking precision or clarity. As a part of speech, ebamäärane is the base form; ebamäärase is used for the genitive singular (and in other cases requiring that form), while ebamäärased marks the nominative plural (vague ones).

Usage and forms: Ebamäärane is commonly used in academic, legal, media, and scientific writing to qualify claims, data, or descriptions. For example: ebamäärane väide (a vague claim) and ebamäärase väite (of a vague claim). In plural form, ebamäärased can accompany a plural noun, as in ebamäärased andmed (imprecise data). The adjective agrees with the noun in case and number.

Examples:

- See on ebamäärane väide. (This is a vague claim.)

- Ebamäärase väite esitamine on problemaatiline. (Stating a vague claim is problematic.)

- Ebamäärased andmed võivad viia ebatäpete järeldusteni. (Imprecise data can lead to inaccurate conclusions.)

See also: täpne (precise), baselge (ambiguous), ebaselge (unclear). Ebamäärase is part of the broader spectrum of terms describing precision and clarity in Estonian.

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