inimestel

Inimestel is an Estonian grammatical form used as the plural adessive case of the noun inimene (person). It functions to refer to a group of people in locations or contexts, and it often translates to “on/at/among the people” in English, depending on the sentence.

As a case form, inimene has several plural endings, and inimestel appears in the adessive plural. This form is commonly used in sentences that describe possessions, attributes, or actions relating to a group of people without naming them individually. For example, inimestel on palju ideid means “The people have many ideas,” using the adessive plural to indicate the group.

Usage and function are best understood through typical constructions. Inimestel is frequently employed with the verb olema (to be) or with verbs that express possession or articulation of opinions, beliefs, or characteristics at the group level. It emphasizes the collective aspect of the subject rather than individuals. For instance, “Inimestel on erinevaid arvamusi” translates to “There are various opinions among the people.”

Nuances and related forms: Inimestel is distinct from the nominative plural inimeste (the people) and from genitive inimeste (of the people). The adessive plural form is one of several Estonian case endings that mark location or context for plural nouns. Understanding inimestel helps in expressing information about groups without naming individuals.

See also: inimene, inimeste, inimesed (general forms of the word for person/people), Estonian case system, adessive case.