Igapäevaskeelne

Igapäevaskeelne is Estonian for the everyday language used in ordinary conversation and informal writing. The term describes the register of speech that people typically employ outside formal settings, such as in family life, social interactions, text messages, and social media. It covers a broad spectrum from casual spoken language to relaxed written communication, and includes colloquialisms, slang, and neologisms that are widely understood by speakers.

Igapäevaskeelne is often contrasted with kirjakeel (the standard or formal written language) and with highly specialized or official registers. It overlaps with kõnekeelne keel (spoken language), but it is characterized more by the level of informality and accessibility than by a fixed set of rules. While regras and prescriptive norms apply differently, igapäevaskeelne remains intelligible to a broad audience and reflects current usage and social dynamics.

Linguistic features commonly associated with igapäevaskeelne include simpler sentence structures, the use of fillers and interjections, reduced syntactic complexity, and a higher incidence of colloquial vocabulary, idioms, and borrowings from other languages. Orthography in informal contexts may be flexible, with creative spellings or abbreviations typical of text messaging and online communication. The register also shows regional and generational variation, evolving with new slang and popular culture.

In language planning and education, igapäevaskeelne helps describe how people actually communicate in daily life and informs efforts to promote clear, accessible language across media and platforms. See also: kõnekeelne, kirjakeel, släng, idioms.