liikmetest

Liikmetest is an Estonian linguistic term describing a specific inflected form of the noun for members. It is the elative plural form of liikmed (members) and is used to express source, origin, or a component drawn from a group. In contrast, the genitive plural liikmete means “of the members” and serves a different function, indicating possession or association rather than origin or composition.

In practice, liikmetest appears in formal or organizational texts to indicate that something comes from or is formed by the members. It is common in phrases describing composition or provenance, such as a committee formed from members or a group consisting of members. The construction liikumetest moodustatud or liikmetest koosnev is frequently used to describe entities created from or made up of members.

Typical uses include sentences like:

- Komisjon koosnes liikmetest. (The committee consisted of the members.)

- Liikmetest moodustatud töörühm esitas aruande. (A working group formed from the members submitted a report.)

- Nende seisukohad põhinevad liikmetest saadud tagasisidel. (Their views are based on feedback received from the members.)

Notes for learners:

- Liikmetest marks origin or composition and is distinct from liikmete, which means “of the members” in a possession or membership sense.

- It is most common in neutral, formal or administrative language, such as reports, minutes, and organizational descriptions.

- Like other Estonian case forms, its usage depends on the surrounding verb or preposition that governs the elative case.