Lihtsatest

Lihtsatest is an Estonian inflected form built from the adjective lihttne (easy) and used to convey the sense “from the easiest ones” or “of the easiest ones.” It represents a case-inflected plural form that appears in constructions indicating origin or source within a group. In standard Estonian grammar, adjectives follow the noun in number and case, and certain plural forms of adjectives (together with the noun they modify) can express a source or subset relationship, such as elative or related cases. Lihtsatest is typically described as the elative plural form of the genitive plural stem lihtsate, producing the sense of extraction or origin.

Morphology and formation

The base concept comes from the stem of lihtne (easy). In plural forms, lihtsad (the easy ones) yields lihtsate in the genitive plural. The elative plural, used to express movement from or extraction of a subset, combines with that stem to produce lihtsatest. This form is most often encountered when a speaker refers to a subset drawn from a larger set that is characterized by ease.

Usage

Lihtsatest tends to occur in academic, educational, or evaluative contexts where a distinction is made between items by difficulty. It functions to specify a subset without naming each item, focusing on the relative ease of the chosen elements. The construction is part of the broader Estonian system of inflected adjectives used with nouns to mark source, selection, or comparative grouping.

See also

Estonian grammar, adjectives, elative case, genitive plural.

Note: As with many inflected forms, exact usage can vary by dialect and register and is best confirmed with contemporary Estonian usage resources.