Pildistav

Pildistav is an Estonian term used as an adjective and present participle formed from the verb pildistama, meaning to photograph. It describes something that takes photographs or that is capable of taking them. The word can refer to devices such as cameras or phones as well as to people who engage in photographing, though for people the more common noun is pildistaja (photographer) or fotograaf.

Etymology and form: pildistav is derived from the verb pildistama and the suffix -stav, which yields an adjective describing a characteristic or ongoing action. The root relates to pilt (image, picture) and its derivatives. In usage, pildistav modifies nouns to indicate the act of photographing or the capacity to do so.

Usage: In contemporary Estonian, pildistav is more often found in descriptive or technical contexts. For devices and equipment, it may appear in marketing or descriptive text to indicate built-in photographic capability, e.g., pildistav seade or pildistav telefon. For people, pildistav is less common as a noun; designers and writers typically use pildistaja or fotograaf to denote the photographer.

Limitations: Pildistav should not be used as a stand-alone noun. The associated noun forms include pildistaja (the photographer) and pildistamine (the act of photographing). The word emphasizes the act or capability of taking pictures rather than the person.

Examples: The pildistav seade captured high-quality images in low light. The catalog describes the phone as a pildistav on the move, highlighting its integrated camera.

See also: pildistama, pildistamine, pilt, pildid, pildistaja, fotograaf.