kõhtu

Kõhtu is the partitive singular form of the Estonian noun kõht, which denotes the belly or abdomen. In everyday language, kõht refers to the front part of the torso where the stomach is located, as well as to the belly region more generally. In medical and anatomical contexts, the combining form kõhu- appears in many compound terms describing abdominal structures and regions, such as kõhuõõs (the abdominal cavity) and kõhupiirkond (the abdomen region).

Morphology and usage: The base noun kõht is declined like other Estonian masculine nouns. The nominative singular is kõht, the genitive singular is kõhu, and the partitive singular is kõhtu. The form kõhtu is thus the partitive singular used in constructions that require the partitive case, including partial quantities and certain verb patterns. In practice, kõhtu rarely stands alone in everyday speech, but it functions as a grammatical form within the broader inflectional system of kõht.

Origins and related forms: Kõhtu derives from kõht (belly, stomach). The adjective- or noun-forming prefix kõhu- serves as a productive root in many anatomical terms, contributing to clear anatomical and medical terminology. Related common terms include kõht and the compound forms built with kõhu- to name specific abdominal structures and regions.

See also: kõht; kõhu-; kõhtu (partitive form).