Tõsiste

Tõsiste is the genitive plural form of the Estonian adjective tõsine, which generally means serious or earnest. In Estonian, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in number and case, so when the noun is plural and in the genitive case, the adjective takes the ending that yields tõsiste.

In practice, tõsiste appears before a genitive plural noun, as in the phrases tõsiste inimeste arv (the number of serious people) and tõsiste inimeste seas (among serious people). The form does not create a new word; it is simply the grammatical inflection used in this particular syntactic context.

Meaning and nuance: tõsine typically conveys seriousness in the sense of solemnity or importance. When used in the genitive plural form tõsiste, it remains an attributive adjective agreeing with the noun, rather than changing meaning on its own. The distinction between tõsine as a standalone word and tõsiste as a morphological form is a matter of grammar rather than a separate lexical item.

Etymology and history: the adjective tõsine is linked to the Estonian root tõsi (truth), with standard derivational suffixes typical of Estonian adjectives. The genitive plural ending tõsiste reflects regular plural-genitive agreement patterns in Estonian adjectives, and its use is well established in contemporary standard language.

See also: Estonian grammar, adjective declension, genitive case.