Jooksvate

Jooksvate is a term from Estonian grammar describing a specific inflected form of the present-participle adjective derived from the verb jooksema, meaning “to run.” The form literally translates to “of the running ones.” It is used when the head noun in a phrase is in the genitive plural, producing a possessive or associative sense such as “of the running ones.”

Morphology and function: jooksvate is the genitive plural form of the participial adjective jooksvad (running). This form appears in descriptive or formal contexts where a noun phrase needs to express a relationship to running action. The surrounding noun, in phrases employing jooksvate, is typically in a genitive construction to reflect the same relationship.

Usage: Jooksvate occurs mainly in literary Estonian, historical texts, or other formal registers. It is less common in everyday speech, where speakers may opt for more direct constructions, such as using the nominative plural jooksvad or rephrasing to convey the intended meaning without the genitive plural form.

Examples (illustrative, not exhaustive): jooksvate hobuste omanike (owners of the running horses); jooksvate inimeste treeningprogramm (training program for the running people). These illustrate how jooksvate links to a following noun in a way that expresses association with running action.

See also: Estonian grammar, participles, genitive case, adjectives.