laulude

Laulude is the genitive plural form of the Estonian noun laul, meaning "song." In Estonian, nouns change form to indicate case and number; the genitive plural is commonly formed with the ending -de, producing laulude to mean "of songs" or to indicate possession relating to multiple songs. The word laul itself is of native Estonian origin.

In usage, laulude appears in phrases such as laulude sõnad (the words or lyrics of the songs), laulude autorid (the authors of the songs), and laulude kogu (a collection of songs). It can also appear in broader compounds like laulude sisu (the content of the songs) or laulude tähendus (the meaning of the songs). The form does not vary by gender, since Estonian nouns do not assign gender.

Cultural context: Estonian language and culture place a strong emphasis on singing and choral traditions, with the Song Festival (Laulupidu) being a central national event. The genitive plural laulude is therefore a common grammatical tool in discussing multiple songs in academic, journalistic, and literary texts. Related topics include the Estonian language, the word laul, and the Laulupidu festival.