Keelteliselt

Keelteliselt is an adverb used in Estonian linguistic and academic writing to indicate a perspective or analysis focused on language itself. It signals that the discussion is approaching a phenomenon from a linguistic standpoint, emphasizing structure, grammar, phonology, or lexicon rather than social, pragmatic, or semantic dimensions.

Etymology and usage notes

The term appears to be formed from the noun keel (language) with a derivational suffix that yields an adverb meaning “linguistically” or “from a language-focused viewpoint.” Keelteliselt is less common in everyday speech and is more likely to appear in theoretical or descriptive linguistic texts. Because it is not as established as some other adverbs (for example, lingvistiliselt), its use can be perceived as stylistically marked or specialized.

Examples

- Keelteliselt vaadates on selle fenomeni põhjused seotud keele struktuuriga. (Linguistically viewed, the causes of this phenomenon are related to the structure of the language.)

- Keelteliselt analüüsides võib tekst peegeldada morfoloogiliste seoste muutumist. (Linguistically analyzed, the text may reflect changes in morphological relationships.)

Relationship to other terms

Keelteliselt is related to, but distinct from, lingvistiliselt, which more broadly denotes a linguistic perspective. Keelteliselt emphasizes the language-internal perspective specifically, whereas lingvistiliselt can refer to linguistic analysis more generally. In formal writing, readers should ensure that the intended focus on language structure is clear when choosing between such adverbs.

See also: lingvistiliselt, keel, linguistics, keelelised nähtused.