kasvavas

Kasvavas is an Estonian term used in linguistic and scientific contexts to denote the present active participle of the verb kasvama, meaning “to grow.” The sense is “growing” or “in the process of growth.” The form is used as a participial adjective to describe entities in a state of ongoing development, with particular frequency in botany, ecology, and agriculture.

In grammar, kasvavas is one inflected form of the participle that belongs to the broader family of -vas participles derived from kasvama. Like other Estonian participles, it declines for number and case and therefore appears in various forms to agree with the head noun in attribution or predication. The base present participle form is kasvav, while kasvavas represents one of the inflected variants used in specific grammatical contexts.

Usage and interpretation of kasvavas are most common in descriptive writing, scientific terminology, and glossaries that cover growth stages in plants, animal populations, or agricultural processes. It conveys a sense of ongoing development rather than completed growth, aligning with other Estonian descriptors that emphasize process over result.

Etymology and related forms: derived from the root kasv- (to grow) with the participle suffix -vas; related forms include kasvav (growing) and other case-inflected forms of the same participle. See also Estonian language, Estonian participles, kasvama.