liitide

Liitide is the genitive plural form of the Estonian noun liit, which means a union, alliance, association, or organization. In practice, liitide denotes the relationship of belonging or attribution to multiple unions and is commonly translated as “of the unions” or “the unions’.” It appears in contexts describing the activities, aims, or characteristics of more than one organization, for example: liitide eesmärk (the purpose of the unions) or liitide tegevus (the unions’ activities).

Etymology and form: The base liit is a Finnic word related to the Finnish liitto. The genitive plural liitide is formed with the -ide ending, a productive pattern in Estonian for many nouns to express possession by multiple entities. The form is typically used after numerals or adjectives that require a genitive plural, and it is common in official, historical, and organizational texts.

Grammar and usage notes: Liitide functions as a possessive modifier in the genitive plural, modifying the noun that follows it (for example, liitide varustus = the equipment of the unions). It does not stand alone as a plural noun; it specifies a relationship to several unions. In contrasts, singular references use liit (the union) or liidu (the union’s).

See also: liit; liidud; ühing; ühendus.