Vastuvõtu

Vastuvõtu is the genitive form of the Estonian noun vastuvõtt, and it denotes the act or process of receiving and welcoming. It can refer to social hospitality, such as the reception of guests, or to a formal procedure by which someone is admitted or accepted into a group, program, or institution. In official or administrative contexts, vastuvõtu describes the steps, rules, or decisions involved in admission or enrollment.

In everyday language vastuvõtu is used to describe events and procedures related to welcoming people or things. For example, a ceremonial reception for visitors is a form of vastuvõtu, and the term can also appear in phrases about admissions or enrollment, such as the requirements or decisions governing vastuvõtu to a university or organization. Typical collocations include vastuvõtu tingimused (admission requirements) and vastuvõtu komisjon (admissions committee).

The concept contrasts with related terms: vastuvõtt refers to the act or event of receiving, tervitus denotes a greeting, and võõrustamine refers to hosting. The word vastuvõtu thus functions across social, ceremonial, and administrative domains, encompassing both the act of receiving and the procedural aspects of admitting someone or something.

Etymology traces vastuvõtt to the combination of vastu (toward, to/against) and võtt (taking), a common Finnic formation for meanings related to taking in, receiving, or accepting. The form vastuvõtu appears predominantly in genitive constructions and compound phrases describing reception-related processes.