Kasutuslikku

Kasutuslikku is an Estonian inflected form of the adjective kasutuslik, which means practical, functional or utilitarian. The form occurs when the adjective modifies a noun in a case that requires the partitive singular ending. In Estonian, adjectives decline to agree with the noun they describe, including case, number, and gender (though not explicitly marked for gender). Kasutuslikku therefore signals that the described quality relates to usefulness, usability, or practical applicability.

Etymology and formation: kasutuslik is derived from the noun kasutus (use, usage) combined with the adjectival suffix -lik, which denotes a characteristic or relation. The result is an adjective used to discuss things in terms of practicality or utilitarian value. The specific ending -ku in kasutuslikku shows its role in a sentence where the noun is in the partitive singular.

Usage and register: The term is primarily found in technical, academic, or design-oriented writing where distinctions between practical usability and other qualities (such as aesthetics or theoretical interest) are relevant. It can describe objects, plans, systems, or concepts that are evaluated for their functional usefulness rather than their appearance or novelty.

Relation to related terms: The noun kasutus and its abstract form kasutuslikkus express the quality of usefulness or usability. Kasutuslikku is one grammatical manifestation of this semantic field, while other forms (like kasutuslik, kasutuslikud, kasutusliku, etc.) appear according to the noun’s case and number in a sentence.

See also: Estonian adjectives, partitive case, usability in design, functional design, Estonian grammar.