kirjelduslikes

Kirjelduslikes is a term encountered in Estonian-language discussions of literary style. It denotes a category of descriptive expressions whose main function is to evoke sensory perception rather than advance plot or argument. Analyses that distinguish narrative modes treat kirjelduslikes as imagery-rich language, focusing on texture, color, sound, scent, and tactile impressions.

Etymology and usage: The word appears to combine kirjeldus ("description") with a plural-like suffix -likes, used by some critics to label a set or type of descriptive phrases rather than a grammatical form. The term is not standardized in major dictionaries or grammars, and its usage varies across authors. It is most commonly found in scholarly articles, course materials, and language blogs discussing descriptive writing in Estonian.

In practice, kirjelduslikes is contrasted with action-forward narration and with argumentative prose. It helps authors create immersion by showing rather than telling. A typical instance would be a passage that emphasizes sensory detail—sight, sound, smell—over chronology or explanation. For example, an English sample: The forest was damp, the air carried pine and earth, and every leaf seemed to glow with a quiet light. In Estonian texts, similar sequences might be analyzed as kirjelduslikes rather than as direct exposition.