kirjatud

Kirjatud is an Estonian adjective meaning "written" or "inscribed." It is used to describe objects or surfaces that bear writing, such as inscriptions on monuments, manuscripts, labels, or documents. In academic and archival prose, kirjatud is commonly employed to indicate that text is present as a material feature of the item.

Form and origin: kirjatud is related to the noun kiri (letter, writing) and is built with the common Estonian adjectival pattern that turns a noun into an adjective with a suffix. The form appears in standard Estonian in both historical and modern usage, and is found in dictionaries and corpora as the participial adjective meaning "bearing writing."

Distinctions: In Estonian, kirjatud is sometimes confused with kirjastatud, which means "published." They are distinct: kirjatud refers to having writing on the item itself, while kirjastatud refers to the publication status of a work.

Other notes: The concept is largely lexical and descriptive, and outside of linguistic discussions it is used when describing manuscripts, inscriptions, artifacts, or signage. It does not convey authorship or publication.

See also: Estonian language; kiri (letter).