matkima

Matkima is an Estonian verb meaning to imitate or copy. It denotes the act of reproducing someone’s manner, speech, or style, or of following a model in behavior, performance, or artistic work. The word belongs to the Estonian verb class formed with the infinitive ending -ma and is widely used in ordinary speech as well as in literary and media contexts.

In use, matkima is typically transitive and requires an object naming what is being imitated—such as a person’s manner, a style, or a performance. The abstract noun matkimine denotes imitation or copying in general. The concept covers both light, playful mimicry and more deliberate copying in art, design, or public life.

Etymology and status: The term is a canonical Estonian word with standard inflection patterns that follow the regular -ma verb conjugation.

In English-language discussions of Estonian, matkima is typically translated as imitate or copy. It is part of everyday vocabulary and is commonly found in both descriptive and critical uses, including analyses of speech, performance, and artistic imitation.