Ettevõtta

Ettevõtta is an Estonian verb meaning to undertake or to embark on an action, project, or course of activity. It denotes the decision to begin something and commit resources or effort to it. The standard infinitive form is two words: ette võtta. The prefix et- combines with võtta (to take) to express taking up a task in advance or in preparation for action.

Etymology and related forms:

The word is built from et- (a prefix conveying forward or before) and võtta (to take). Related nouns include et­tevõte (an undertaking or enterprise) and ettevõtlus (entrepreneurship). These related terms reflect a common semantic field around initiating, organizing, and managing activities or ventures.

Usage:

Ettevõtta is used in formal, administrative, or strategic contexts to describe the act of undertaking something large or planned. It often appears in discussions of policy, planning, business strategy, and project management, where individuals or organizations decide to take on a new assignment or initiative.

Grammar:

As a verb, et­te võtta follows standard Estonian verb conjugation patterns. The action is typically discussed in terms of beginning, assuming responsibility for, or committing to a task, with variations across tenses and moods produced by regular Estonian conjugation of the two-word infinitive.

See also:

Ettevõte (enterprise or undertaking), et­tevõtlus (entrepreneurship). These terms share the same root and reflect related concepts of planning, starting, and managing activities.

Note:

In standard modern Estonian, the infinitive remains the two-word form “ette võtta.”

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