Tolmlemine

Tolmlemine is a term in the Estonian language that denotes the act of removing dust from surfaces, commonly translated as dusting in English. The word is formed from tolm, meaning dust, and the gerund suffix -mine, which marks a process or activity. In everyday Estonian, tolmlemine is most often used to describe routine housekeeping tasks.

Usage and nuance: Tolmlemine can be used broadly to refer to dusting objects, furniture, or surfaces. In more formal or technical writing, speakers may prefer phrases such as tolmu pühkimine (dusting with a cloth) or tolmu eemaldamine (removal of dust). The choice between tolmlemine and these alternatives can reflect register, emphasis, or stylistic preference; tolmlemine foregrounds the activity as a process.

Frequency and context: The term appears primarily in general language, instructional material, and household discourse. It is less common in highly specialized technical writing, where more specific expressions about cleaning, maintenance, or filtration might be used.

Related terminology: Related Estonian terms include tolm (dust), tolmu pühkimine (dusting with a cloth), and puhastamine (cleaning). The form tolmlemine has inflected variants such as tolmlemise (genitive) and tolmlemist (partitive).

See also: tolm, tolmu pühkimine, puhastamine.