Keskmisena

Keskmisena is a Estonian term formed from keskmine (average) with the suffix -sena, which marks a role or function. It is used to denote that something is considered or presented in the capacity of the mean, as an average value, or as a representative point. In practice, keskmisena signals that a value or attribute should be interpreted as the typical or underlying measure rather than a specific instance.

The word is most common in statistical, scientific, and formal writing, where the mean value is a key summary statistic. It can also appear in analyses or conclusions when the author wants to emphasize that a result is being treated as an average or typical case. Keskmisena often occurs in collocations with nouns such as väärtus (value) or näitajana (as an indicator), for example as keskmisena väärtusena or keskmisena näitajana, to specify the role of the mean in the discussion.

Grammatically, keskmisena functions as an adverbial or predicative expression, enabling authors to indicate role or function rather than a literal action. It is part of a broader family of -sena forms in Estonian used to express “as” in various contexts, alongside other role-marking expressions.

Related concepts include keskmine (average), aritmeetiline keskmine, mediaan (median), and moda (mode). Keskmisena provides a precise linguistic tool for framing statements about data as being viewed through the lens of the mean.