Kaubade

Kaubade is the genitive plural form of the Estonian noun kaub, which denotes goods, merchandise, or commodities. In standard usage, kaubade is used to indicate a relationship to goods, such as possession, association, or description, within noun phrases.

In practice, kaubade appears in legal, economic, and commercial texts to express phrases like “the price of goods” (kaubade hind), “the export of goods” (kaubade eksport), and “the quantity of goods” (kaubade kogus). It functions similarly to other genitive plural forms in Estonian, where the form marks the relationship to the noun that accompanies it rather than standing as a separate concept.

Kaubade is distinguished from kaubad, the nominative plural meaning simply “goods” or “merchandise.” The genitive plural is common when the noun is governed by another word in a descriptive or possessive sense, or when indicating measurements, movements, or transactions involving goods.

Etymologically, kaubade reflects the broader Estonian vocabulary related to commerce, including kaubandus (commerce/trade) and kauba (goods, in the singular genitive). The form is a regular feature of Estonian grammar and does not denote a distinct lexical entry beyond its grammatical function.

See also: kaubad, kauba, kaubandus, Estonian grammar, genitive case.