Vahekohus

Vahekohus is an Estonian noun meaning an intermediate place or position, formed from vahe ('gap, interval') and kohus ('place, position' or, less commonly, 'court'). The term describes something that lies between two other things and can function as a mediator, a middle ground, or a transitional stage. In everyday language it may refer to a figurative middle position in a discussion or decision-making process.

In more specialized discourse, vahekohus can denote an intermediary role within a system or workflow—such as a position or unit that mediates between two others, or a transitional stage that connects earlier and later steps. In legal or administrative texts the phrase may be used descriptively to indicate an intermediate authority or decision point in a chain of reviews, though it is not an official technical term in Estonia’s modern court structure.

Because its exact meaning depends on context, vahekohus is relatively uncommon in contemporary standard usage and may be interpreted differently by writers. Etymology is straightforward, reflecting the compounding of vahe and kohus, both common Estonian morphemes.

See also: vahe, vaheline, keskmine, vahekohunik.