istama

Istama is a verb in the Estonian language meaning to plant or to sow seeds, especially in contexts related to agriculture, gardening, or forestry. It denotes the act of placing seeds, seedlings, or young plants into soil so they can grow, and is used with a direct object referring to what is planted (for example, a tree, seed, or crop). The verb belongs to the class of transitive Estonian verbs and is inflected for person, number, and tense.

Derived forms include istutus, meaning planting or plantation; istutamine, the act of planting; and istutatud, meaning planted. These related forms show how the core root is used to describe different stages of the planting process and its outcomes. In everyday Estonian, the concept of planting can extend to horticultural planning, such as garden design or forestry management, where istama is a common verb.

In addition to its literal sense, istama can appear in metaphorical expressions related to establishing or founding something, echoing the literal act of putting something into ground to anchor its development.

See also: Estonian language, Estonian verbs, planting.