Eelnevaid

Eelnevaid is an Estonian word-form used as the partitive plural of the adjective eelnev, which means "earlier" or "previous." In Estonian, adjectives agree with the noun they modify in number and case, and the partitive plural form eelnevaid appears when the noun is in the partitive plural. This form is common in contexts that refer to previously mentioned items or events in a non-definite sense.

Grammatical role and usage: eelnevaid functions as an attributive adjective in front of a plural noun in the partitive case. It helps indicate that the referenced items belong to a period or set that is being discussed as non-complete, indefinite, or ongoing in the context of the sentence. The base adjective eelnev and its other forms (such as eelnevad in the nominative plural) reflect standard Estonian inflection patterns for adjectives.

Examples in use: eelnevaid sündmusi translates to "earlier events." eelnevaid argumente means "earlier arguments." These phrases commonly appear in historical summaries, comparisons, or discussions of sequences where the speaker contrasts past items with current ones.

Notes on terminology: The form eelnevaid is one of several inflected variants of eelnev. The nominative plural form is typically eelnevad, while eelnevaid marks the partitive plural. Understanding these forms aids parsing and producing Estonian sentences that describe multiple items in relation to earlier timeframes.

See also: Estonian adjectives, Estonian grammar, partitive case in Estonian.

References: Standard Estonian grammar resources and dictionaries discuss the inflection patterns of adjectives like eelnev and their corresponding forms, including eelnevaid.