Välismaiste

Välismaiste is the genitive plural form of the Estonian adjective välismaine, meaning foreign or external and used to describe things originating outside Estonia or relating to foreign contexts. The form välismaiste is used when the noun it modifies is in the genitive plural, for example in phrases such as välismaiste riikide diplomatide külastus (the visit of diplomats from foreign countries) or välismaiste ettevõtete arved (invoices from foreign companies). It can also appear in expressions like välismaiste kogemuste jagamine (sharing of foreign experiences).

Morphology and usage. Estonian adjectives decline to agree with the noun they modify. The key forms of välismaine include: nominative singular välismaine; genitive singular välismaise; nominative plural välismaised; genitive plural välismaiste. Thus, välismaiste is specifically the genitive plural form and is used when the described noun is in genitive plural. In attribute position, the adjective precedes the noun, and agreement is with the noun it describes.

Etymology and relation to related terms. Välismaine is built from the prefix välis- meaning foreign or external, combined with the suffix -aine. It belongs to a set of adjectives used to denote origin, affiliation, or context outside of Estonia. Related terms include välismaa (foreign country) and the base adjective välismaine itself.

See also. välismaa; välismaine.