mingisuguse

Mingisuguse is the genitive singular form of the Estonian adjective mingisugune, meaning "some kind of" or "a kind of." It is used to describe a noun in a non-specific way, often to avoid naming a particular item or person.

Etymology and form: the word combines mingi meaning "some" with sugune meaning "kind" or "type." Like other Estonian adjectives, mingisugune inflects for case and number, giving forms such as mingisugune inimene (a person of some kind), mingisuguse inimese (of some kind of person), and mingisugust inimest (some kind of person, partitive). The genitive singular form is mingisuguse, while the plural nominative is mingisugused inimesed.

Usage and nuance: mingisuguse tends to convey vagueness or informality. It is common in spoken Estonian and in informal writing. In formal contexts, speakers may opt for more precise expressions such as mõne tüüpi or mingit tüüpi to specify a particular kind, or use a named example instead.

Examples:

- Ma nägin mingisugust mehest pargis. (I saw some kind of man in the park.)

- See on mingisuguse juhendi järgi. (This is according to some kind of manual.)

- Ta ei soovinud mingisugust keerulist lahendust. (He didn’t want some kind of complicated solution.)

See also:

- Estonian adjectives and case inflection

- Phrases equivalent to "some kind of" in Estonian

- Language usage in informal Estonian

Mingisuguse thus appears as a flexible, everyday way to indicate vagueness without specifying details.