Mære

Määre is an Estonian noun that primarily denotes a definition or an explanation of a term or concept. It is commonly used in linguistic, academic, and legal contexts where precise meanings must be established. In everyday speech, a määre is expected when clarifying ambiguous language, and it appears in dictionaries, glossaries, and instructional materials. When someone says “lisa maa-alustisele mõistusele määre”, they are asking for an explicit definition of the term in the subject area.

The word originates from the older Estonian root “mära‑” meaning “to restrict” or “to constrain”, which conveys the idea of limiting a term to a specific set of characteristics. In legal documents, a määre provides the foundational scope for statutes and regulations; failing to define a term can lead to interpretive disputes. The concept is similar to the English term “definition” and shares cognates in related Finno-Ugric languages. In educational contexts, teachers often assign “nimida ja defineerida” tasks where students must produce a määre for a chosen word, fostering analytical and linguistic skills.

In addition to its conventional use, määre appears in some Estonian idioms and expressions, such as “näha kõike ühe lühise läviku kaudu,” where the phrase underscores the necessity of clarifying a concept’s parameters before proceeding. The term also appears in compound words that denote measures or standards, for example, “väärtusmäär” (price determination) or “seisundi määre” (status definition). Thus, määre functions as a core linguistic device that upholds clarity and precision in Estonian communication across many domains.