Kasutuslaadi

Kasutuslaadi is a linguistic term used in Estonian grammar to describe the usage form of a lexeme—the set of syntactic and semantic environments in which a word is commonly employed. The term is used primarily in dictionaries, grammars, and corpus annotations to indicate how a word can function in sentences beyond its bare lemma.

The purpose of kasutuslaadi is to capture the functional role of a word in typical constructions, including its syntactic position (for example attributive versus predicative use for adjectives, finite versus non-finite use for verbs) and its stylistic register (formal, neutral, colloquial). Different grammars may label kasutuslaadi with different categories, but the overarching aim is to describe usage patterns rather than inflection forms alone.

Kasutuslaadi is distinct from part of speech in that it records usage patterns and any restrictions that go with a word, such as which prepositions or case forms may accompany it, or in what contexts certain constructions are natural or typical. It functions as descriptive metadata that complements the basic grammatical properties of a word.

Examples help illustrate the concept. An adjective may have attributive usage, modifying a noun directly, or predicative usage, following a copular verb. A verb may appear in finite forms for explicit time reference or in non-finite forms in subordinate clauses. A noun can appear in various syntactic roles with different accompanying phrases.

Limitations exist because kasutuslaadi classification schemes vary between resources; a single word entry might receive different usage labels in different grammars. It is best read as descriptive metadata rather than a rigid rule. See also Estonian grammar, morphology, and syntax.