Sattumisele

Sattumisele is an Estonian term used to describe a coincidence or happenstance—the occurrence of events by chance rather than design. The concept centers on unpredictability and the idea that outcomes arise without explicit intention.

The word is derived from the verb sattuma, meaning to happen by chance. In linguistic and literary usage, sattumisele functions as a nominal expression for such an occurrence, and it appears in discussions about events where causality or planning is uncertain.

Usage and nuance: It conveys a neutral to mildly evaluative stance, recognizing a sequence of events as serendipitous rather than deliberate. It is used to contrast planned actions with unintended results or to foreground the role of chance in a story, argument, or analysis.

Related terms include sattuma (the act of happening by chance), sattumus (coincidence), and juhus (luck or accident). Estonian dictionaries and corpora describe sattumisele as part of the broader vocabulary for chance and contingency.