Kirjeldav

Kirjeldav is an Estonian adjective meaning descriptive. It describes something that relates to description or that presents phenomena as they are observed, rather than as they should be. The word is derived from the Estonian verb kirjeldama (to describe) and the participial suffix -av.

In linguistic and academic contexts, kirjeldav is used to denote a descriptive approach to study or analysis, in contrast to prescriptive or normative frameworks. For example, terms such as kirjeldav meetod or kirjeldav lähenemine appear in Estonian scholarship to refer to methods that document language use as it occurs, without prescribing rules. In grammar descriptions, a kirjeldav grammar outlines how a language is actually used by speakers, not how some ideal standard would require it to be used.

In literature and arts, kirjeldav stiil describes writing that emphasizes description, imagery, and sensory detail rather than argument or plot-driven movement. The term is common in Estonian-language criticism and education, where it helps distinguish descriptive analysis of texts from other approaches such as historical or theoretical critique.

See also: Descriptive linguistics, Descriptive grammar, Prescriptive grammar, Estonian language.