hoolduste

Hoolduste is the genitive plural form of the Estonian noun hooldus, which means maintenance, upkeep, or care. In Estonian, hooldus refers to activities that preserve function, safety, or appearance of something, and hoolduste is used when referring to multiple maintenance events or to maintenance as an attribute of something.

Etymology-wise, hoolduste is derived from the root hooldus with the genitive plural suffix -te. It shares a root with the verb hooldama, meaning to maintain or to take care.

Usage of hoolduste occurs mainly in phrases that denote types or instances of maintenance. Examples include hoolduste ajakava (maintenance schedule), hoolduste teostamine (execution of maintenance), and hoolduste tööde kirjeldus (description of maintenance works). In English translations, the word by itself is not usually rendered; the surrounding context determines whether it means maintenance tasks, the maintenance activities, or the maintenance as a concept.

Domains where the term appears include mechanical engineering, property management, information technology, and transportation, where planned or corrective maintenance is discussed. It is used in contrast to hooldus, the general or uncounted concept of maintenance, to specify particular sets of maintenance events or tasks.

In sum, hoolduste is a grammatical form that enables Estonian speakers to refer to multiple maintenance activities or the maintenance-related aspects of a subject, within the broader concept of hooldus.