Söövitav

Söövitav is an Estonian adjective that denotes something edible or fit to be eaten. It is formed from the verb sööma (to eat) with the suffix -vatav, which in Estonian adjectives indicates suitability or capability. The sense is close to edible, though in everyday language the shorter word söödav is more commonly used.

In practice, söödav describes food or other substances that can safely be consumed. Söövitav is found mainly in dictionaries, technical writing, or descriptive language where a more formal or precise register is desired. It can also be used metaphorically to evoke appetite or appeal, though this usage is less common than straightforward references to edibility.

Etymology and related forms: sõõ from the Estonian root söö- (to eat) combines with the -vatav suffix to yield a word literally meaning “able to be eaten.” A closely related, more common form is söödav, which carries the same core meaning in everyday speech. The root is cognate with Finnish syötävä (edible), reflecting shared Finno-Ugric ancestry and parallel word formation, though the exact form differs between languages.

See also: söödav, toiduaine, sööma, söömine, sötik. In cross-linguistic contexts, Estonian söödav and Finnish syötävä illustrate parallel development of edible terminology within Finnic languages.