Soovitasoovitama

Soovitasoovitama is a coined term used in Estonian linguistics to describe a hypothetical compound verb formed by combining the past tense of soovitama (soovitas) with the infinitive mood of the same verb (soovitama). It is not part of standard Estonian and does not appear in dictionaries. The form is discussed as a thought experiment to illustrate how recursive or catenative verb meanings might be encoded in Estonian morphology.

Origin and analysis: Soovitasoovitama does not have attested usage in conventional corpora. Linguists occasionally employ such coinages to explore how tense, aspect, and infinitival complements could interact in a single complex verb, or to demonstrate the limits of compounding in Estonian. In theoretical accounts, the construction is treated as a hypothetical verb with a layered event structure, rather than a routinely productive word in the language.

Usage and interpretation: In actual language use, speakers would typically express the idea of recommending that someone should engage in recommending something through separate clauses or established periphrastic sequences, for example with a main verb expressing recommendation and a subordinate clause containing the idea to be recommended. Soovitasoovitama functions mainly as a pedagogical or analytical example rather than a living vocabulary item.

Relation to related terms: It relates to the base verb soovitama (to recommend), its past tense soovitas, and to general discussions of Estonian verb formation, catenative verbs, and subordinate clause syntax. See also soovitama, soovitus, Estonian grammar.