hõlmasid

Hõlmasid is an Estonian verb form, representing the past tense, third-person plural form of the verb hõlmama. The verb hõlmama has a broad range of meanings, including to embrace, to surround, to envelop, and to include or comprise. As a past-tense, third-person plural form, hõlmasid is used when describing actions carried out by multiple subjects in the past.

In usage, hõlmasid commonly appears in ordinary speech and writing to describe physical actions of embracing or wrapping around others, as well as metaphorical senses such as surrounding or encompassing a group, a set of ideas, or responsibilities. For example, Nad hõlmasid üksteist after the ceremony translates roughly to They embraced each other. In a more figurative sense, a project and its stakeholders could be described as hõlmasid kõiki osapooli (surrounded or included all parties), depending on context.

Grammatically, hõlmasid is a finite verb form that marks past tense and agrees with a plural subject. Estonian verbs are typically conjugated for person and number, and past-tense forms like hõlmasid are common in narrative, reporting, and descriptive prose. The form is used across registers, from everyday conversation to literary text, wherever a plural subject is performing the action in the past.

Notes: the primary meaning relates to embracing or enclosing, but contextual nuance can shift toward inclusion, coverage, or solidarity. The word is part of standard Estonian and is derived from the root hõlm-.