Maailmad

Maailmad is the Estonian plural noun meaning “worlds,” the plural form of maailm. It denotes a distinct sphere of existence, a planet or a realm. In general usage, maailmad can refer to multiple physical worlds such as planets beyond Earth, or to metaphorical realms such as cultural or social spheres. The term appears in many contexts, including geography, astronomy, philosophy, literature, and media.

In science and astronomy, maailmad may describe other planetary systems or hypothetical universes, especially when discussing exoplanets or the concept of a multiverse. In philosophy and logic, the closely related term võimalikud maailmad translates to “possible worlds” and is used in modal semantics to discuss necessity and possibility.

In fiction and world-building, maailmad denotes imagined universes or realms, often with distinct rules, ecologies, and cultures. Authors and game designers use the plural to indicate that multiple settings exist within a single narrative universe or across connected stories.

In everyday Estonian, phrases such as maailmad erinevad or maislmaide vahel are used to express differences between spheres or to describe transitions between realms. The word is typically inflected for case and number like other Estonian nouns.