Lõua

Lõua is a form in Estonian used as the genitive singular of lõug, meaning chin or jaw. It is a grammatical form rather than a free-standing noun, and its primary function is to indicate possession or association in compounds. In everyday language, lõua does not stand alone; it appears in compound nouns and descriptive terms that refer to the jaw or chin region.

A common example is lõualuu, the jawbone, which is built from lõua + luu (bone). In this construction, lõua conveys “of the chin” or “jaw” as a relational element within the compound. Other related terms include anatomical names or measurements that use the same genitive stem, illustrating how Estonian forms body-related terms through the combination of lõua with other morphemes.

In geographic names, Lõua may appear as a toponym in Estonia, capitalized as a proper noun. Such usage follows standard Estonian capitalization rules for place names. As with many Estonian genitive forms, lõua is not commonly used as an independent noun outside of its role inside compounds.

Overall, lõua functions primarily as a morphological element within the Estonian language, demonstrating how the language links lõug with other morphemes to create terms related to the jaw, chin, or nearby structures.