Nimisõnat

Nimisõnat is a term used in some linguistic discussions to refer to the noun class in Estonian grammar. In standard Estonian terminology, the noun is called nimisõna and the plural form nimisõnad; nimisõnat may appear in certain texts or regional usage as a way to refer collectively to nouns. The article below summarizes the core features commonly associated with this word class.

Nimisõnat name entities and objects, including people, places, things, and abstract ideas. They function as the main referential elements in sentences, most often appearing as subjects or objects, but also as complements in various syntactic peripheries. Like other word classes, nimisõnat interact with modifiers (such as adjectives and numerals) and participate in syntactic agreement and word formation.

Morphology and syntax: nimisõnat decline for number (singular and plural) and case (Estonian has a rich system with around 14 cases in standard usage). They do not assign grammatical gender. A definite and an indefinite form distinction exists in Estonian nouns, expressed through suffixal changes or surrounding constructions. Adjectives and numerals agree with the noun in number and case. Proper nouns are a subset of nimisõnat and behave similarly in inflection but do not require arity marking in some constructions.

Types and usage: nimisõnat can be common nouns (general referents) or proper nouns (specific names). They can be countable or mass, and they form plurals by various regular or irregular patterns (for example, raamat → raamatud; inimene → inimesed). Nimisõnat can be derived or compounded to create new nouns, expanding the lexicon.

Overall, nimisõnat (nouns) are foundational for reference and predication in Estonian, enabling specification, quantity, possession, and modification within sentences.