Niisutavate

Niisutavate is the genitive plural form of the Estonian adjective niisutatav, meaning moisturizing or humectant. It functions as a modifier in noun phrases to indicate that something can moisturize or retain moisture. As a form, niisutavate is not typically used as a standalone lexical item; it appears in contexts where the head noun is in the genitive plural, for example niisutavate ainete (moisturizing substances) or niisutavate ühendite omadused (properties of moisturizing compounds).

Etymology and morphology: Niisutatav is built from the verb niisutama, “to moisten,” with the participial suffix -atav, which yields “capable of moisturizing.” The genitive plural ending for this adjective is -vate, producing niisutavate when the head noun is in plural genitive. This pattern is common in technical or scientific Estonian, where adjectives agree with the grammatical case and number of their noun.

Usage: The form is common in scientific, cosmetic, and agricultural texts where multiple substances or agents are described as moisturizing. Examples include phrases such as niisutavate ainete kontsentratsioon (concentration of moisturizing substances) or niisutavate ühendite omadused (properties of moisturizing compounds). It is typically paired with nouns in the genitive plural or with other nouns that govern such inflected forms.

Related forms: The base adjective niisutatav, and the related shorter form niisutav meaning simply “moisturizing.” The noun niisutamine refers to the act of moisturizing.

See also: niisutaja (moisturizer or hydrator) and niisutus (moisturization or humidity).