Võrdlusest

Võrdlusest is the elative singular form of the Estonian noun võrdlus, which denotes the act of comparing or a comparison. In addition to its general sense as “comparison,” võrdlus can also refer to a rhetorical figure that expresses a likeness between things (a simile or analogy). The elative form võrdlusest signals origin or source, meaning “from the comparison” or “as a result of the comparison.”

In usage, võrdlusest introduces conclusions or statements that follow from a comparison between two or more items, data sets, or phenomena. It is common in academic writing, statistics, linguistics, and rhetorical analysis. For example, phrases like võrdlusest ilmneb (it is evident from the comparison) or võrdlusest tulenevad järeldused (conclusions arising from the comparison) are used to attribute findings to the act of comparing.

Grammatically, võrdlus is declined like other Estonian nouns. Its genitive singular is võrdluse, and its elative singular is võrdlusest. The elative form can combine with other parts of speech to frame statements about evidence, cause, or source derived from the comparison.

Notes: Võrdlusest should not be confused with võrdluse, the genitive form, which marks possession or close association (e.g., “the nature of the comparison”). Both senses—comparison as a process and as a rhetorical device—share the same root, but võrdlusest specifically foregrounds information that comes from the act of comparing.