lõikuma

Lõikuma is an Estonian verb whose core meaning is to cut or to slice. It denotes the action of separating material with a blade, such as cutting paper, wood, or hair. The term can also be used figuratively to describe reducing or truncating something, for example a plan or a budget.

Grammatical notes: Lõikuma is a standard Estonian verb with an infinitive ending -ma. It follows regular conjugation patterns and can express different tenses, moods, and persons like other Estonian verbs. The related noun lõige means an incision or cut, and related forms include lõikaja (cutter) and lõike (in the sense of a section or portion).

Etymology: Lõikuma derives from the stem lõik- meaning “to cut” and belongs to the native Finnic vocabulary. It has cognates in related Finnic languages, such as Finnish leikata, meaning “to cut.”

Usage notes: The verb covers physical cutting actions as well as metaphorical uses involving reduction or interruption. It often appears in compounds and phrases describing cutting with a knife or saw, or in contexts where an amount, time, or process is shortened or removed.

See also: lõige, lõik, lõigata, lõikaja.