määrav

Määrav is a linguistic term used to describe a broad class of words that determine or limit the reference of a noun. In Finnic-language grammars, määrav encompasses elements that specify quantity, definiteness, or scope, and that function to identify what the noun refers to, rather than to describe its inherent properties.

In practice, määrav includes numerals, demonstratives, possessive determiners, and certain quantifiers. These words typically appear before the noun and interact with case endings as part of noun phrases. For example: kolm õuna (three apples) uses a numeral as a determiner; see raamat (this book) uses a demonstrative; minu auto (my car) uses a possessive determiner; palju vett (a lot of water) uses a quantifier.

Määrav differs from descriptive adjectives in that its primary role is to fix reference rather than to attribute a feature. Estonian, like other Finnic languages, does not have a definite or indefinite article; thus meanings of definiteness or quantity are often established by määrav items rather than by articles.

Some grammars treat määrav as a cross-cutting category that overlaps with pronouns and adjectives, depending on analysis. The concept helps describe how nouns are anchored in discourse, how they are counted, and how they are identified in context. Cross-linguistically, similar functions appear as determiners or quantifiers in many languages.

Overall, määrav is a practical label for the set of words that control noun reference through quantity, identity, and scope, rather than through descriptive content alone.