Kahjustanud

Kahjustanud is Estonian an active past participle formed from the verb kahjustama, meaning “having damaged” or “having caused injury.” It designates the agent responsible for damage or harm, rather than the recipient. As an attributive modifier it can appear before a noun in phrases such as kahjustanud isik (the person who caused the damage) or kahjustanud ettevõte (the company that caused the damage). It is primarily used in legal, insurance, or news discourse where identifying responsibility is important. This form is distinct from kahjustatud, the passive past participle meaning “damaged” or “injured,” which describes the thing or person that has suffered harm.

In practice, kahjustanud is often realized through phrases like kahjustanud isik, or it can be replaced by the noun kahjastaja or kahjustaja (the person who causes damage) in more common language. The word emphasizes causation and responsibility rather than the result of the injury.

Etymology: kahjustanud is formed from the verb kahjustama with the active past participle suffix -nud, yielding “having damaged” or “the one who damaged.”