Spetsiifilise

Spetsiifilise is the genitive singular form of the Estonian adjective spetsiifiline, meaning specific or pertaining to a particular case or object. In Estonian, adjectives agree with the noun they modify in case and number, and the genitive singular form ends in -ilise. The form is used when the noun it describes is in the genitive, for example in spetsiifilise omaduse kirjeldus, meaning the description of a specific property.

Etymology and meaning: spetsiifiline is a relatively recent loanword in Estonian, common in scientific, technical, and formal language. It derives from the international concept of “specific” and has a distinct sense from related words such as spetsiaalne (special), with spetsiifiline emphasizing a property that is particular to a certain subject, context, or category.

Grammar and usage: Adjectives in Estonian decline for case and number, and spetsiifiline follows the standard pattern. Nominative singular: spetsiifiline; genitive singular: spetsiifilise; partitive singular: spetsiifilist; nominative plural: spetsiifilised; genitive plural: spetsiifiliste. It is commonly paired with nouns in technical or academic phrases to indicate that a trait, rule, or category is limited to a specific context.

Examples: Spetsiifilise omaduse mõistmine on oluline. (Understanding the specific property is important.) Spetsiifilise ajaperioodi jooksul kogutud andmed viitavad perioodile, mis oli eelnevalt määratletud. Spetsiifilise rühma liikmed demonstreerisid eripäraseid käitumisviise. See term helps distinguish particular characteristics from general ones in research and analysis.