Otsitava

Otsitava is an Estonian attributive participle form meaning “to be sought” or “wanted,” used before a noun to indicate that the referent is the object of search. It is derived from the verb otsima (to seek) and the passive participle otsitav. In descriptive phrases describing persons or objects that authorities are looking for, otsitava modifies the following noun, as in the phrase otsitava isiku kirjeldus, meaning “description of the person to be sought.”

Morphology and usage notes: otsitav is the nominative singular form used before a noun, while otsitava is the genitive singular form used in phrases such as otsitava isiku kirjeldus (description of the person to be sought). The partitive singular is otsitavat (e.g., otsitavat inimest puudutab eitamine), and plural forms include otsitavad (nominative plural) and otsitavate (genitive plural). The form otsitava thus functions as a key linking element in attributive phrases where the referenced item or person is the subject of a search or investigation.

Context and register: Otsitava appears chiefly in law enforcement, public safety bulletins, and formal news coverage to identify individuals or items that authorities are actively seeking. In everyday language, more common constructions may use the simple adjective otsitav or other phrasing, but otsitava remains standard in official texts and descriptive labels.

See also: otsima, otsitav, otsitava isiku kirjeldus.