Erandlikke

Erandlikke is an Estonian adjective form meaning “exceptional” or “unusual.” It is the inflected form used with plural nouns in Estonian when describing indefinite quantities or in certain grammatical cases, most commonly in the partitive plural. The base adjective erandlik derives from erand, meaning an exception, and the suffix -lik forms the meaning “exceptional.”

In Estonian, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in number and case, so erandlikke appears specifically with plural nouns in contexts that require a partitive (and sometimes genitive) plural. This form signals that the described items are not typical and stand out from the norm. It is a formal or technical word, more common in academic, legal, or statistical writing than in everyday speech.

Usage examples include phrases such as erandlikke juhtumeid, meaning “exceptional cases,” and erandlikke omadusi, meaning “exceptional properties.” Other possible collocations include erandlikke olukordi (exceptional situations). The nuance conveyed is one of rarity, irregularity, or deviation from standard patterns, rather than mere rarity of occurrence.

Etymology can be traced to erand (an exception) with the adjectival suffix -lik, producing erandlik, and the inflected form erandlikke for plural, partitive-style usage. The term thus carries a precise, technical tone and is employed to qualify phenomena that are noteworthy precisely because they depart from the usual.