Varjude

Varjude is the genitive plural form of the Estonian noun varjud, which means shadows. It is used to indicate possession or association, and appears in phrases such as varjude maailm (the world of shadows) or varjude mõju (the influence of shadows). The corresponding nominative plural is varjud, and the singular genitive is varju.

In grammar, varjude functions as a genitive plural ending -de, which is attached to the plural stem varjud to express relationships between nouns. This form is common in everyday Estonian and in literary language, where speakers describe atmosphere, imagery, or spatial relations involving shadows or metaphorical darkness.

Etymology traces varjud to the Estonian root varju- meaning shade or shadow, with the -de ending forming the genitive plural. The concept aligns with broader Finnic language patterns for expressing possession and association. Varjude is not a proper noun; it is a grammatical form used across different contexts.

Usage notes: as a genitive plural, varjude is typically combined with other nouns or adjectives to express relations such as possession, origin, or characteristic. It can also appear in fixed expressions and literary phrases to evoke mood, night, or ambiguity without specifying a concrete object.

See also: varjud (shadows), Estonian language, genitive case, linguistic morphology.