Sõlmisid

Sõlmisid is the past tense plural form of the Estonian verb sõlmima, meaning to conclude or enter into an agreement, contract, treaty, or arrangement. It is used with plural subjects to indicate that an agreement was concluded in the past. For example: Nad sõlmisid lepingu or Te sõlmisid rahvusvahelise kokkuleppe.

Etymology and sense: The verb sõlmima derives from sõlm, meaning a knot or bind, and carries the sense of binding two parties together through a formal agreement. It is cognate with Finnish solmia, both reflecting the idea of binding or tying a deal.

Usage: Sõlmima is common in legal, business, and political contexts, where the act of creating a formal commitment is described. The past tense form sõlmisid emphasizes that the conclusion has already occurred. Other related forms include sõlmib (present/future sense of concluding) and sõlmimata (not concluded).

Notes on nuance: Sõlmisid specifically highlights the act of forming a binding agreement, as opposed to merely agreeing or negotiating. In some contexts, alternative verbs like leppima or kokkuleppima may be used to stress different aspects of reaching an understanding, but sõlmisid remains standard for the formal conclusion of a contract or treaty.

See also: sõlmima, leppima, kokkulepe.