Tahtlikke

Tahtlikke is an Estonian adjective form meaning deliberate or intentional. It describes actions, decisions, or behavior performed knowingly rather than by accident. The term appears frequently in formal and analytical writing, such as legal texts, ethical discussions, and policy documents, where it is useful to distinguish intentional acts from negligent or incidental ones. In everyday speech, the base form tahtlik is also used with the same general meaning.

Etymology and form: The word derives from the root taht, meaning will or desire, with the suffix -lik forming the adjective tahtlik, “willing” or “intentional.” The form tahtlikke is the inflected plural used before a plural noun in certain grammatical cases (most notably the partitive), so it occurs in phrases like tahtlikke tegusid (deliberate deeds) or tahtlikke otsuseid (deliberate decisions).

Usage notes: Tahtlikke commonly collocates with nouns describing actions or decisions, indicating purposeful or conscious conduct. It contrasts with terms for unintentional acts (for example, mitte-tahtlik or tahtmatult) and with related noun forms such as tahtlikkus, which denotes the quality of deliberateness or intention. The word is most frequent in written Estonian and in contexts that require precision about motive or awareness.

See also: tahtlikkus (deliberateness, intention), taht (will, intention), intentionality in Estonian lexicon.