liitsõnad

Liitsõnad, or compound words, are a central feature of the Estonian language. They are formed by joining two or more word stems into a single lexical unit, usually written without spaces. The resulting word often conveys a specific, cohesive meaning that emerges from its parts, rather than a simple phrase.

Most liitsõnad are created by combining nouns, yielding noun-noun compounds that name objects, places, or concepts. Examples include ajaleht (newspaper), raamatukogu (library), lennujaam (airport), maanteeamet (Road Administration), linnavalitsus (city government), and pealinn (capital city). They can also express a function or relation, as in raadiojaam (radio station) or veebileht (web page). Liitsõnad may be formed from more than two components as well, producing longer, more specific terms.

Spelling and punctuation: In standard Estonian, liitsõnad are written as a single word. Hyphenation or spacing is rare and typically reserved for special cases where readability or clarity demands it, or in certain style guides. When proper names are involved, conventions may vary by context, but the general rule remains: most compounds are closed words.

Morphology and usage: Liitsõnad behave like single words in inflection; suffixes attach to the whole compound (for example, ajalehe in the genitive, or ajalehepäev in certain formations). They are productive in creating new vocabulary, with new terms formed by combining existing stems—examples include infosüsteem (information system) and veebileht (web page). This productivity supports the ongoing expansion of Estonian terminology in technology, administration, and daily life.