alateksti

Alateksti is a term used in Estonian-language discourse that can refer to two related ideas depending on context. In literary and media analysis, it denotes subtext—the implicit meanings, intentions, or cultural assumptions that lie beneath the explicit content of a text, image, or performance. Subtexts are often examined to understand how messages are conveyed beyond literal wording and to explore how audiences interpret them.

In digital media and web accessibility, alateksti commonly corresponds to what in English is called alt text or alternative text. This is the textual description attached to an image to convey its content or function to users who cannot view the image, such as those using screen readers or text-only devices. In Estonian usage, alt tekst may be written in several forms, including alttekst or alt-tekst, with alateksti sometimes appearing in less formal contexts. The essential purpose is to ensure accessibility and comprehension irrespective of visual presentation.

Guidelines for alateksti in the accessibility sense emphasize clarity and relevance. The description should convey the image’s essential content or purpose concisely, avoid unnecessary phrases like “image of,” and be empty for decorative graphics when no informative content is present. In the subtext sense, analyzing alateksti involves examining how underlying meanings are constructed through tone, context, and audience expectations, often revealing social, ideological, or rhetorical dimensions of a work.

Overall, alateksti is a polyvalent term whose precise meaning depends on whether it is used to discuss hidden meanings in discourse or to describe images for accessibility and digital design. Related concepts include subtext, captions, and alt text.