Mittefunktsionaalseks

Mittefunktsionaalseks is a translative form of the Estonian adjective mittefunktsionaalne, meaning non-functional. It is used to indicate that something has ceased to function or become unusable. The form is typically employed with the verb muutuma (to become) or with the auxiliary olema (to be) in a predicative construction, for example as käändevorm with muutuma: muutuda mittefunktsionaalseks, or ta on muutunud mittefunktsionaalseks.

Etymology and form: The word is built from prefix mitte- (negation) + funktsionaalse (functional) + translative suffix -seks, which denotes a change of state into the described condition. In Estonian, the translative case marks the change into a new state, so mittefunktsionaalseks specifies the state one has become.

Usage: The term appears in technical, engineering, IT, and infrastructure contexts, as well as in descriptive or evaluative passages. It describes objects or systems that no longer perform their intended function. Examples include: Seade muutus pärast ülekuumenemist mittefunktsionaalseks. (The device became non-functional after overheating.) Tarkvara sai veast rikutud ja muutus mittefunktsionaalseks. (The software, due to a fault, became non-functional.) The expression can also be used figuratively to describe processes, policies, or plans that are no longer effective.

Related terms: mittefunktsionaalne (non-functional), mittetoimiv (non-operational) are related lexical forms, used in similar contexts to describe lack of functionality. The term is primarily found in Estonian-language texts and is typically technical or formal in register.