Tähenduslikku

Tähenduslikku is the partitive singular form of the Estonian adjective tähenduslik, which means meaningful or significant. In standard Estonian, adjectives decline for case, number, and definiteness, so the form tähenduslikku appears before a noun in the partitive case or in constructions that require a partitive object. The base word tähenduslik is formed from tähendus (meaning, significance) plus the suffix -lik, yielding a meaning related to possessing meaning or significance.

The noun tähenduslikkus exists to refer to the quality or state of being meaningful. Tähenduslikkus is more commonly used in academic, philosophical, or linguistic contexts to discuss significance, weight, or semantic value, whereas tähenduslikku is a grammatical form used within sentences.

Usage and register: The adjective is primarily encountered in formal or literary contexts rather than everyday speech. It typically appears in phrases where the modified noun is in partitive or in clauses that require a partitive object, reflecting Estonian’s ongoing system of case-based agreement. In such uses, the word conveys that the referenced content has significance or meaningful content.

Relation to semantics: The root relates to meaning (tähendus) and significance, aligning with discussions in linguistics, semantics, and philosophy about weight, purpose, or interpretive value. While the lemma tähenduslikkus denotes the broader concept of meaningfulness, tähenduslikku serves as a grammatical form within that framework.

See also: tähendus, tähenduslikkus, semantika, lingvistika, märksõna.