Mittehinnanguva

Mittehinnanguva is a neologism used in Estonian-language discourse to describe statements, analyses, or processes that do not express or involve value judgments. The term combines the negating prefix mitte- with the present-active participle hinnanguva, which is derived from hinnang, meaning evaluation, appraisal, or judgment. Put together, mittehinnanguva conveys “not evaluating” or “non-evaluative.”

Etymology and form: hinnang denotes estimation or valuation, and hinnanguva indicates something in the act of evaluating. In combination with mitte-, the word is intended to label language or analysis that aims for neutrality or descriptive reporting rather than judgments of value. Because Estonian adjectives decline, the exact inflected form may vary depending on the noun they modify (for example, mittehinnanguv kirjeldus could be used to mean “a non-evaluative description”).

Usage and domains: the term appears primarily in linguistic, discourse-analytic, or philosophy discussions where neutrality or non-judgmental framing is a concern. It can be applied to descriptions, analyses, or reports that intentionally avoid evaluative language, enabling focus on facts, procedures, or phenomena rather than opinions about worth or quality. The term is not yet widely attested in standard dictionaries and is mainly found in online discussions or as a proposed label in critical-reading contexts.

Related concepts: evaluative language (hinnanguline) versus non-evaluative language, neutrality in reporting, and non-judgmental description. The term mitteehinnanguva reflects broader debates about how to present information without implicit or explicit judgments.

Note: There is limited formal usage in established linguistic sources, and the article describes the construction and potential uses of the term rather than documenting formal conventions. Example in Estonian: See on mittehinnanguv kirjeldus. Translation: This is a non-evaluative description.