külgedel

Külgedel is an Estonian grammatical form meaning “on the sides” or “along the sides.” It is the plural adessive form of the noun külg (side) and is used to indicate location relative to something, typically after a noun in descriptive phrases.

In standard Estonian, külgedel answers the question where? and specifies position along or beside an object or area. It is commonly found in descriptions of objects, architecture, landscapes, and instructional texts, where precise placement is discussed. The form is productive in everyday language and can occur in a variety of contexts to convey lateral positioning.

Examples of usage include sentences such as auto külgedel on helkurid (there are reflectors on the sides of the car) and aia külgedel kasvab rohi (grass grows along the sides of the fence). These illustrate how külgedel coordinates the location of features relative to another object.

Etymology and morphology: the base noun külg means “side” or “edge,” and külgedel is formed by adding the plural adessive suffix -del to indicate location “on the sides.” This pattern is part of Estonian case and number system, where adessive forms are used to describe positions and surfaces.

Külgedel is a standard, neutral term in linguistic and descriptive writing in Estonian. It does not denote a separate concept beyond the locational meaning derived from külg.

See also: Estonian grammar; Adessive case; Külg.