Oskuslikuna

Oskuslikuna is a term used in linguistic and stylistic discussions about the Estonian language. It refers to a derivational form that expresses a role or identity in a given situation, roughly translating to “as a skilled person” or “in the capacity of someone skilled.” The form is not a common everyday word in Estonian, but appears in grammars, textbooks, and creative writing as an example of how suffixes can create role-denoting expressions.

The form is typically analyzed as stemming from the adjective oskuslik (skilled, expert) plus the suffix -una, which signals a role or function in predicative or nominal contexts. In linguistic descriptions, oskuslikuna is treated as a potential predicted complement that locates the subject in a particular identity during an event, estimation, or presentation. Its use highlights how Estonian can flexibly encode social roles or professional identities within a sentence.

Usage and examples are mainly found in academic or didactic texts rather than in everyday speech. For instance, a sentence might read: Ta esitas end oskuslikuna, kui kirjeldas lahendust. Another example: Oskuslikuna kirjutades rõhutab autor enesekindlust. Because oskuslikuna is relatively rare in ordinary language, it is most often cited as a hypothetical or illustrative form that helps explain Estonian derivational suffixes and predicative noun-like expressions. See also Estonian grammar, suffixes -una and -na, and role-denoting constructions.