Eksitavaid

Eksitavaid is the Estonian adjective form meaning deceptive or misleading, used to describe information, claims, or actions that are intended to mislead. It is the partitive plural form of the base adjective eksitav, which derives from the verb eksitama meaning to mislead or deceive. The form eksitavaid is typically used with plural nouns in the partitive case, for example eksitavaid väiteid (misleading claims) or eksitavaid teateid (misleading reports).

In usage, eksitav describes something that is not simply false, but designed to mislead or confuse. It is common in journalistic, political, and academic writing when evaluating sources, rhetoric, or evidence. Typical collocations include eksitavaid väiteid, eksitavat teavet, and eksitavaid sõnumeid. The term carries a nuance of intent and effect, rather than a neutral error.

Etymologically, eksitavaid is formed from the verb eksitama (to mislead) with the Estonian present participle suffix -av, producing eksitav (misleading) and its partitive plural form eksitavaid for certain noun phrases. Related adjectives include petlik (fraudulent), valelik (false), and eksitavus as a broader concept of deception.

See also: valelik, petlik, eksitavus, faktikontroll.

Overall, eksitavaid is a commonly used linguistic marker in Estonian discourse to flag information or arguments that aim to mislead readers or listeners, particularly in analyses of media, politics, or public communication.