Otsinguil

Otsinguil is an Estonian term that means “in search of” or “on the lookout for.” It functions as a fixed expression used to describe a state in which someone or something is actively being sought. The form is typically used to modify the subject or to introduce what is being sought, and it can appear in various registers from everyday speech to journalistic writing and public notices.

Usage of otsinguil is common in contexts where an ongoing search is emphasized, such as reports about missing persons, lost items, or new information that is being pursued. In headlines or brief news items, the phrase helps to signal immediacy and activity in the pursuit of a result. In longer prose, it can serve as a predicative complement or as part of a larger predicate, ensuring that the emphasis remains on the pursuit aspect rather than on the object of the search alone.

Etymologically, otsinguil is formed from the noun otsing (search, pursuit) with a suffix that creates an adverbial or predicative meaning, producing a phrase that denotes a state rather than a completed action. This construction is characteristic of how Estonian commonly expresses ongoing processes or conditions.

See also: Estonian language, grammar of participles and adverbial phrases, journalistic language in Estonian.