Lõhestada

Lõhestada is an Estonian verb meaning to split, break apart, or decompose something into smaller parts. It is used in physical contexts (to divide an object into pieces), in chemistry (to decompose a compound into simpler substances), in geology (to fracture rocks), and in a figurative sense (to analyze or dissect a complex issue into its components). The action is transitive, typically taking a direct object.

Common uses include both concrete and abstract splitting. For example, a glass can be lõhestatud kahte ossa (split into two parts), a chemical compound can be lõhestatud (decomposed) into simpler substances, and a text can be lõhestatud lausehaaval (dissected sentence by sentence). In scientific writing, lõhestamine refers to the process of such splitting or decomposition, often describing chemical or structural breakdown.

Form and grammar: the infinitive is lõhestada. Present tense forms include ma lõhestan, sa lõhestad, ta lõhestab, me lõhestame, te lõhestate, nad lõhestavad. Past tense forms are lõhestasin, lõhestasid, lõhestas, lõhestasime, lõhestasite, lõhestasid. The past participle is lõhestatud, and the passive form is lõhestatakse. The noun denoting the process is lõhestamine.

Etymology traces to the root lõhk-, related to breaking. The term is common in Estonian science, engineering, and analytical language, where precise breaking down of substances or ideas is described with lõhestada and its related forms.