kaasaegsel

Kaasaegsel is the adessive singular form of the Estonian adjective kaasaegne, meaning contemporary or modern. It is used to indicate something that belongs to or occurs in the contemporary era and appears in phrases such as “kaasaegsel ajal” (in the contemporary era) or “kaasaegsel kunstil” (in contemporary art). The form helps describe domains, contexts, or phenomena that are considered part of modern times rather than historical periods.

Etymology and meaning: The root word kaasaegne comes from the combination of kaasa- and aeg (time), conveying the sense of being in the same time as the present. Over time, kaasaegne and its inflected forms came to denote current, up-to-date, or modern aspects across culture, technology, and society.

Grammatical note: As an adjective, kaasaegne declines to fit cases and numbers. The adessive form kaasaegsel is used with nouns in the singular, such as “kaasaegsel ajal” or “kaasaegsel kunstil.” Other forms include kaasaegse (genitive), kaasaegses (inessive), and so on.

Usage: In Estonian discourse, ka- as a modifier marks phenomena as part of the present-day or recent period, distinguishing them from historical or traditional contexts. It is common in art criticism, cultural reporting, architecture, science, and social commentary to describe current trends, works, or conditions as ka- auegaegsed.

See also: kaasaegne, kaasaegsus, modernism, postmodernism.