allakirjutanud

Allakirjutanud is an Estonian term used in formal documents to refer to the individuals who have signed a text. It functions as a nominalized form derived from the verb allkirjastama, meaning to sign, and is commonly understood as “the undersigned” or “the signatories.” In practice, allakirjutanud often appears as a heading or introductory phrase before a list of names in contracts, declarations, petitions, or letters, signaling who has affixed their signature to the document.

Morphology and usage

The word originates from the action of signing and is used to identify the people responsible for the content of the document. It can denote a single signatory or multiple signatories, depending on the context. In official prose, allakirjutanud is typically treated as a noun phrase and may be inflected to fit grammatical case, number, and definiteness according to standard Estonian grammar. It is common to see the term capitalized when used as a heading-like label, such as at the start of a list of names, but capitalization may vary with stylistic conventions.

Related terms

Related vocabulary includes allkirjastaja (the signer or person who signs) and allkirjastatud (signed), which describes the state of having been signed. Allakirjutanud is most characteristic of formal, legal, or administrative Estonian and is less common in ordinary, non-technical writing.

See also

Estonian legal language; contract drafting; official correspondence.