kaupmeestele

Kaupmeestele is the allative plural form of the Estonian noun kaupmees, meaning merchant. It denotes the recipient or beneficiary of an action, translating to “to the merchants” or “for the merchants” in English. In Estonian grammar, the allative case expresses direction or purpose with the suffix -le, and the plural form for this noun is kaupmeestele. The singular allative form is kaupmehele.

Etymology and forms: The base kaupmees combines kaup- (goods, trade) and mees (man), yielding the meaning “merchant.” Other cases use different endings: nominative plural is kaupmehed, genitive plural is kaupmeeste, while the allative forms include kaupmeele (singular) and kaupmeestele (plural). These variations reflect standard Estonian noun declension.

Usage: The form is used when merchants are the recipients or beneficiaries of an action, or when referring to information or services directed at merchants. Examples include: Ma andsin kaupmeestele näidistooteid (I gave sample products to the merchants). Kaupmeestele mõeldud teave on kättesaadav veebis (Information intended for merchants is available online). Ta suunab oma pakkumised kaupmeestele (He directs his offers to merchants). It can also appear with adjectives meaning directed at merchants, such as Kaupmeestele mõeldud kampaania algab järgmisel nädalal (A campaign aimed at merchants starts next week).

Notes: Distinguish kaupmeestele from the genitive form kaupmeeste and from the singular allative kaupmehele. The form changes with number and case and is not a standalone entity.