lausepärastuse

Lausepärastus is a term used in Estonian linguistics to describe a syntactic relation in which a dependent clause follows the main clause in a sentence. It covers subordinate clauses that function in relation to the matrix clause and cannot stand alone without the context provided by the main clause. The defining feature is the postposed position of the subordinate clause, which typically adds content, circumstances, or evaluation to the main clause.

In practice, lausepärastus includes several common subordinate clause types. Content clauses, such as those expressing thought, belief, or statement, are frequent: Ma arvan, et ta tuleb (I think that he is coming). Adverbial clauses of time, place, cause, condition, or concession can also follow the main clause, for example: Ta jäi koju, kui vihma sadas (He stayed home, because it was raining). Relative clauses that postmodify a noun can be viewed as part of the broader category, though their primary integration is within noun phrases rather than as separate sentence components.

Punctuation typically separates the main clause from the following subordinate clause with a comma in Estonian. The lausepärastus arrangement is one way languages structure information, contributing to foregrounding or sequence in discourse. It is commonly contrasted with clause-initial subordinate clauses, where the dependent clause precedes the main clause, and with coordination, where clauses are of equal syntactic status.

In linguistic grammars and language pedagogy, lausepärastus is discussed as part of subordinate clause phenomena and is important for understanding Estonian sentence syntax and how meaning is organized across clauses.