Vastajate

Vastajate is a grammatical form in Estonian that refers to the group of respondents in research or surveys. It is the genitive plural of the noun vastaja, meaning respondent or answerer. In usage, vastajate is used when indicating possession or relation to respondents, such as quantities, characteristics, or actions attributed to the respondents.

Morphology and usage are straightforward: vastaja is the base noun, with nominative plural vastajad. The genitive plural form is vastajate. Example phrases include vastajate arv (the number of respondents) and vastajate demograafilised andmed (the demographic data of respondents). This form is commonly seen in statistical tables and academic writing.

In scholarly Estonian writing, vastajate appears in contexts that require “of the respondents” construction. The corresponding nominative form vastajad would be used when the respondents themselves are the subject, for example: Vastajad vastasid. The genitive form, however, helps attribute properties or measurements to the respondent group rather than to a specific individual.

Limitations: vastajate is a grammatical and lexical form rather than a separate concept. It is most relevant in Estonian-language texts, particularly in sociological and survey reporting. For non-Estonian readers, it is best translated as “of the respondents” or, when referring to the group, “the respondents’.”

See also: vastaja, vastajad.