asulaid

Asulaid is the Estonian term for settlements in the plural form; asula is the singular. In geographical and statistical usage, asula refers to any inhabited place, not necessarily an independent municipality, and it serves as a general category for populated locations.

Estonia distinguishes several specific settlement types, including linn (city), alevik (small borough), and küla (village). The word asula functions as an umbrella term that encompasses these types as well as other inhabited places that do not constitute separate municipal units. In official statistics, gazetteers, and maps, asulaid are listed as the set of all populated places, with further classification by type where applicable.

Etymology and usage: asula derives from the Estonian verb asuda, meaning to reside, with a common noun-forming suffix. The plural form asulaid appears in lists and descriptive text when referring to multiple settlements. The distinction between asula and its subtypes is primarily relevant in administrative and statistical contexts; in everyday language, people more commonly refer to specific places by their names and by the settled area’s official designation.

See also: asula (singular), linn, alevik, küla. Asulaid is mainly encountered in formal contexts such as census data, geographic databases, and official documentation, rather than in casual speech.