ikoonilise

Ikoonilise is the genitive singular form of the Estonian adjective ikooniline, meaning “iconic” or “icon-like.” In Estonian, adjectives decline for number and case, so ikooniline appears as ikoonilise in the genitive singular. This form is used to express attribution or possession in phrases such as ikoonilise kunsti traditsioon (“the tradition of iconic art”) or ikoonilise pildi mõju (“the impact of the iconic image”).

Etymology: The adjective ikooniline is built from the noun ikoon, meaning icon, with the suffix -iline. The root ikoon is a loanword in Estonian, borrowed from German Ikone or Russian ikon, and ultimately tracing back to the Greek word eikon meaning “image.”

Usage and context: Ikooniline is common in discussions of art history, iconography, and cultural studies to describe imagery that functions as a symbol with widely recognized meaning. It is also used in modern media and marketing to denote imagery that is instantly recognizable and carries strong associative power. In religious studies, ikooniline images are those that participate in or evoke iconographic traditions.

See also: ikoon, ikoonoloogia, ikooniline kunst, ikoon (= icon).