eristavad

Eristavad is the Estonian form of the verb eristama, meaning to distinguish or differentiate. In ordinary usage it functions as the third-person plural present tense: “they distinguish.” Because Estonian verbs carry person and number, eristavad appears in sentences describing how certain features, groups, or items are set apart from others.

Etymology and morphology: eristavad derives from the infinitive eristama. The root erist- expresses the act of distinguishing, and the suffix -vad marks the 3rd person plural present. As a finite verb, eristavad takes standard subject-verb agreement with the subject in plural form, and it typically governs a direct object or a phrase indicating what is being distinguished (for example, omadused or tunnused).

Usage: eristavad is common in academic, scientific, and analytical writing, where researchers describe how variables, populations, or characteristics differentiate from one another. Typical collocations include eristavad omadused (distinguishing features), eristavad tunnused, and phrases like need tunnused eristavad kahte populatsiooni teineteisest (these features distinguish the two populations from each other). The term can be used in descriptive passages, comparative studies, and methodological sections to explain differentiation.

Relation to related terms: eristama is the base verb meaning “to distinguish.” Eristuv and eristav are related forms describing distinguishing or differentiating properties. The concept is central to discussions of classification, contrast, and typology in linguistics, anthropology, and the social sciences.

See also: eristama; eristuv; eristavus. Note that eristavad is a conventional verb form in Estonian and not a standalone noun or proper noun.