mängust

Mängust is the elative singular form of the Estonian noun mäng, meaning game or play. The elative is a grammatical case used in Estonian to indicate source, origin, or topic, and is formed with the suffix -st on the noun stem.

In use, mängust most commonly marks the topic or subject of discourse, such as in phrases with verbs like rääkima (to talk), mõtlema (to think), or kirjutama (to write). It can also denote movement away from a physical or metaphorical source, depending on context.

Examples:

- Me rääkisime mängust. (We talked about the game.)

- Ta kirjutas essee mängust. (He wrote an essay about the game.)

- Mängust rääkimine on paljudes kultuurides levinud teema. (Speaking about the game is a common topic.)

The elative form may appear in various syntactic constructions, often replacing other expressions that would use different cases or prepositional phrases to convey topic or source. Its exact interpretation—whether “about,” “from,” or “out of”—is determined by the surrounding verb, prepositions, and the overall meaning of the sentence.

See also:

- Estonian grammar: cases, including elative

- Mäng (Estonian noun)

- Rääkimine and other verbs that take millest (about what) with elative objects

Notes:

- Mängust, like other elative forms, should be chosen when the intended meaning concerns the topic or origin related to the noun, rather than the genitive form which would indicate possession or a more direct object relationship.