Lõikavat

Lõikavat is an Estonian word that functions as a form of the adjective or present active participle lõikav, meaning cutting or incisive. It can describe something with a sharp, piercing, or precise quality, applied both to physical objects (for example, a blade) and to abstract concepts (such as language or critique).

Lõikav is formed from the verb lõikama, to cut, with the present-active participle suffix -av. In Estonian grammar it behaves like a standard -av adjective and declines to agree with the noun it modifies. In the singular, common forms include lõikav (nominative), lõikava (genitive/singular), and lõikavat (partitive singular). In the plural, forms such as lõikavad (nominative plural) and lõikavaid (partitive plural) occur. The form lõikavat is most typically seen when the noun it describes is in the partitive or is otherwise indefinite.

Usage and nuance: lõikavat can describe literal sharpness (a lõikavat noa teravus, a cutting edge) as well as figurative sharpness (lõikavat kriitikat, incisive criticism; lõikav stiil, a piercing style). It often conveys a stronger, more pointed sense than simply terav. The word is common in literary, journalistic, and analytical contexts where precision, directness, or effectiveness of cutting action is emphasized.

Etymology: lõikavat derives from the Estonian verb lõikama, with the present-active participle suffix -av. The construction mirrors similar participial adjectives in Finnic languages, linking to akin roots meaning to cut or divide.

See also: terav (sharp), täpne (precise), kriitika (criticism).