Hävitada

Hävitada is Estonian a verb meaning to destroy, ruin, annihilate, or obliterate. It is used both in literal senses, such as destroying objects or structures, and in figurative senses, like ruining plans, environments, or conditions. The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

Etymology and related forms: The word derives from the noun hävitus (destruction) with a verb-forming suffix. Related terms include hävitus (destruction), and adjectives such as hävituslik (destructive). The root hävit- is found in various Finnic languages in forms related to destruction.

Usage and nuance: Hävitada covers a broad semantic field from military or demolition contexts to ecological devastation and data erasure. It can describe physical destruction, the extinction of resources, or the erasure of evidence. In figurative language it often conveys complete ruin or negation of something that previously existed or functioned.

Grammatical notes: Hävitada is a transitive verb. Present tense forms include hävitab (he/she destroys); past tense is hävitas; the past participle used in passive constructions is hävitatud. The perfect construction uses olla plus the past participle, for example: on hävitanud (has destroyed). The passive past participle can be used in phrases like on hävitatud (has been destroyed). The infinitive form is hävitada.

See also: hävitus (destruction), hävituslik (destructive).