Kirjutav

Kirjutav is the present active participle of the Estonian verb kirjutama, meaning writing or the act of writing. In grammar, it functions as an attributive adjective and can also be used predicatively with certain constructions. It describes an ongoing action or a person or thing that writes and therefore agrees with the noun in number and case, much like other adjectives.

Formation and forms: Kirjutav is formed from the infinitive kirjutama with the present-active participle suffix -av. It declines like other adjectives, so it can appear in different cases and numbers when modifying a noun. For example, phrases like kirjutav autor or kirjutav õpetaja use the participle to convey that the person writes.

Usage and nuance: The participle is commonly used to create descriptive phrases, especially to identify a person or object associated with writing, such as a writer or a device that writes. It can be used before a noun as a compound modifier (kirjutav autor) or, less commonly, predicatively in sentences with verbs that allow participial predicates. It contrasts with other related forms such as kirjutatud (written) or kirjutanud (having written), which convey completed or past action.

Related terms: The common noun for a writer is kirjanik, and the agentive form kirjastaja refers to someone who publishes. The verb is kirjutama, from which the participle kirjoittav is derived through standard Estonian participial formation.

Example: Kirjutav autor avaldas uue romaani. This illustrates the use of the present active participle to describe someone who writes and is performing that action.