Mälestust

Mälestust is the partitiivne singular form of the Estonian noun mälestus. The base word mälestus covers memory, remembrance, or a keepsake. The form mälestust is used when the noun is the direct object in a sentence with a partitive sense, for example in expressions where the memory or keepsake is non-specific or not fully counted.

Senses and usage. Mälestus can refer to an internal mental faculty—recollection of past events or people—as well as to something that serves as a reminder or keepsake. In its partitiivne vorm, mälestust appears in constructions where the speaker refers to a memory or memento in an indefinite or non-counting way, or in verbs and phrases that govern the partitive case. The term is common in both everyday language and written Estonian, and it often appears in discussions of personal memory, national remembrance, and commemorative objects.

Etymology and related forms. Mälestust is derived from the verb mälestama, meaning to remember or to recall, with the standard Estonian noun-forming suffix -us. The noun mälestus has several related forms: genitive singular mälestuse, partitive plural mälestusi, and plural nominative mälestused. Common compounds include mälestusmärk (monument or memorial), mälestuspäev (remembrance day), and phrases referring to collective memory and remembrance practices.

See also. Mälestus, mälestusmärk, mälestuspäev.