Mitmusvõte

Mitmusvõte is a linguistic term formed from mitmus (plurality) and võte (technique). It refers to the set of mechanisms a language uses to express number, in particular plurality. In Estonian linguistics the term is used to discuss how nouns, pronouns and related morphology mark more-than-one referents, and how these markings interact with other grammatical categories such as case and quantity.

The most prominent mitmusvõte in Estonian is suffix-based plural formation. Noun stems commonly gain a plural suffix to yield forms such as koerad (dogs), lapsed (children), and majad (houses). The exact suffix depends on the stem’s phonology and the language’s historical development. In addition to suffixation, some plurals arise from stem alternation or irregular forms, such as kass -> kassid. Plural marking must agree with adjectives and pronouns in number within a noun phrase, contributing to overall agreement in the sentence.

Mitmusvõte also encompasses how plural marking interacts with other grammatical processes, such as case endings and numeral agreement. In some linguistic traditions, the concept is extended to describe alternative or peripheral strategies for expressing plurality, including periphrastic or analytic constructions in languages that lack a productive plural suffix.

In summary, mitmusvõte denotes the methods by which plurality is encoded in a language, with Estonian providing clear examples of suffixation, occasional stem changes, and interaction with other parts of speech. See also: grammatical number, pluralization, Estonian grammar.