mängulisel

Mängulisel is an Estonian grammatical form, the adessive singular of the adjective mänguline, used to express “in a playful or game-like manner.” The common construction “mängulisel viisil” translates to “in a playful way” and is used to describe actions, approaches or designs.

Etymology and morphology: The base mänguline means “playful” or “game-like,” formed from mäng (game) plus the suffix -uline, which conveys a likeness. The adessive suffix -sel forms “mängulisel” to indicate the manner in which something is done, allowing phrases that specify how an activity is carried out.

Usage: Mängulisel is used primarily in formal, descriptive, or pedagogical language to qualify methods, designs, or experiences as playful or incorporating game elements. Examples include “mängulisel viisil esitletud õpematerjalid” (learning materials presented in a playful way) or “mängulisel disainil põhinev kasutajaliides” (a user interface based on game-like design). The form often appears alongside related terms such as mänguline or in discussions of gamification, represented by the Estonian term mängustamine.

See also: mänguline, mängustamine. The concept is closely tied to discussions of gamification and game-like design in Estonian discourse. Note that mängulisel is a case form and typically accompanies a noun in the adessive, rather than standing alone as a label.