mõtteline

Mõtteline is an Estonian adjective meaning relating to thought, mental processes, or the realm of ideas. It describes things that exist only in the mind or are used for thought experiments, hypothetical scenarios, or figurative language. In everyday use it often signals conceptual or hypothetical aspects, as opposed to something tangible or real. In mathematics and philosophy, mõtteline is used to denote imaginary or non-empirical entities, most commonly in the phrase mõtteline arv for imaginary numbers, contrasted with reaalarv for real numbers.

Etymology and usage: the word is formed from the root mõte, meaning thought, with the suffix -line that creates adjectives indicating relation or belonging. The term is neutral and descriptive, applicable across disciplines such as philosophy, mathematics, linguistics, and literature. It commonly marks that a concept is non-physical or theoretical, useful for analysis, reasoning, or speculative discussion. Typical examples include mõtteline konstruktsioon (a thought construct), mõtteline olukord (a hypothetical situation), and mõtteline arv (an imaginary number). In literary or rhetorical contexts, mõtteline can describe language or interpretations that are not meant to be taken literally.

See also: reaalarv (real number); mõiste (concept).