Kaunistusest

Kaunistusest is the elative singular form of the Estonian noun kaunistus, which means ornament, decoration, or beautification. The term is used to refer to the concept of beautification and, in context, to denote the subject or topic of discussion in sentences that use the elative case. The word derives from kaunistus, which comes from the verb kaunistama, “to beautify,” with the noun-forming suffix -us.

In usage, kaunistusest appears in standard Estonian in academic, journalistic, and cultural discourse when the topic is beautification, ornamentation, or aesthetics. It can function as the object of verbs that govern the elative case or as the topic introduced by prepositions or verbs that take the elative. For example, phrases such as “räägime kaunistusest” (we talk about beautification) or “kaunistusest on juttu” (there is talk about beautification) illustrate its role as a topic or source of discussion.

It is important to distinguish kaunistusest from kaunistus (the ornament or beautification itself) and from other inflected forms such as kaunistuse (genitive) or kaunistamist (partitive). Related terms include kaunistus (ornament, beautification), kaunistama (to beautify), and kaunidus (beauty). In cultural and design contexts, kaunistus appears in discussions of art, architecture, and decorative traditions, while kaunistusest serves as a grammatical tool for referring to those discussions.

See also: kaunistus, kaunistamine, kaunidus.