Esialgselt

Esialgselt is an Estonian adverb meaning “initially” or “at first.” It is used to indicate the starting state, phase, or condition of a process, plan, or situation, often signaling that changes may follow. The word is formed from the adjective esialgne (initial, preliminary) with the adverbial suffix -lt, yielding esialgselt. Related forms include esialgne (adjective) and esialgu (adverb meaning “at first” in a closely related sense).

In usage, esialgselt is common in formal and written Estonian, including academic writing, reports, and narratives that describe chronology or sequence. It is typically placed at the beginning of a clause to frame what follows as the initial situation, and it can introduce a contrast with later developments: Esialgselt arvasime, et meetod toimib; hiljem selgus, et see ei olnud nii. It can also be used to describe a plan that later changed: Esialgselt olid plaanid teistsugused, kuid olukord muutus.

Examples:

- Esialgselt oli kava lõpetada projekt järgmisel kuul.

- Esialgselt arutati erinevaid lahendusi, kuid lõpuks valiti kompromiss.

- Esialgselt olid plaanid teistsugused, kuid olukord muutus.