Kasutuskeeles

Kasutuskeeles, literally meaning "usage language" in Estonian, is a term used in linguistics and language education to describe the language varieties and forms that people use in ordinary, informal communication. It is contrasted with kirjakeel (the standard written language) and other formal varieties. The concept emphasizes language as a living system shaped by actual use in real contexts, including colloquial expressions, idioms, contractions, regional and social variation, and ongoing lexical growth.

In practice, kasutuskeeles encompasses spoken Estonian in everyday conversations, online messaging, and casual speech. It often features phonetic reductions, syntax simplifications, and code-switching, with borrowing from other languages. It also reflects regional dialects and social registers. The distinction from more formal registers highlights how meaning and tone are carried not only by words but by context, pronunciation, and style.

Scholars use kasutuskeeles to describe how people actually communicate, how linguistic norms vary by age, region, or social group, and how new forms enter common usage. In language education, awareness of kasutuskeeles supports communicative competence, helping learners participate in authentic interaction rather than solely following prescriptive rules. It also informs corpus studies and the development of teaching materials that reflect real-world language use.

Relation to other terms: kasutuskeeles overlaps with spoken language (kõnekeel) but is used more narrowly to refer to language in informal contexts. Some researchers treat it as a dynamic layer between standard written language and everyday speech. See also kirjakeel, kõnekeel, slang, and language register.