määrane

Määrane is an Estonian adjective meaning “definite” or “specified.” It is used to describe a noun whose reference is fixed or determined within a given context. The word is formed from the verb määrama, meaning “to determine” or “to assign,” with the common adjectival suffix -ne, producing a descriptive term that is regular in its agreement with Estonian noun phrases.

In linguistic and mathematical discourse, määrane marks a definite value, quantity, or attribute. It is used to indicate that something has a fixed or particular reference, as opposed to more general or indefinite terms. In everyday speech, definiteness is usually conveyed through demonstratives or context rather than through this adjective, but määrane appears in dictionaries, grammars, and technical writing when discussing definiteness or determinate reference.

The term reflects a broader concept in Estonian grammar of signaling determinacy and fixedness in description. It can modify nouns in the same way as other adjectives, changing form to agree with number and case of the noun it describes. While not among the most common everyday adjectives, määrane remains part of formal and specialized language where precise specification is important.

See also: määrama, määratlus, definiteness in Estonian grammar.