kehtestasid

Kehtestasid is the third-person plural past tense form of the Estonian verb kehtestama. It translates roughly as “they enacted” or “they established” and is used to describe actions where a rule, law, or policy was made binding or valid by a group, such as a parliament, government, or council.

Usage and context: The form frequently appears in legal, governmental, and historical texts. It describes formal acts that bring a rule or statute into effect. It is not used for actions by individuals unless the subject is a collective entity.

Morphology: Kehtestasid is the past tense form used with plural subjects. It is derived from the stem kehtesta- with a past tense ending. Related forms include kehtestasin (I established) and kehtestasime (we established), which illustrate how the verb adapts to different subjects and persons.

Etymology: The verb kehtestama is built from the root keht- meaning “valid” or “binding,” combined with a causative element to form the sense of “to establish as valid.” The overall meaning of kehtestama is to declare something binding or to bring it into effect, and kehtestasid specifically denotes that action carried out by a plural subject in the past.