oskusliku

Oskusliku is the genitive singular form of the Estonian adjective oskuslik, meaning "skillful" or "expert." In standard Estonian, adjectives agree with the noun they modify in case, number, and gender. When the noun is in the genitive case, oskuslik takes the genitive singular ending -u, producing oskusliku. The form is used to attribute skill or expertise to another noun within a noun phrase.

For example, oskusliku meistri abi translates roughly as "the help of a skilled master," and oskusliku töö kvaliteet as "the quality of skilled work." In these phrases oskusliku modifies a genitive noun, signaling possession or association with skill. The usage is common in formal or careful prose, including administrative language, legal drafting, and academic writing.

Etymology: oskusliku is derived from oskus (skill, know-how) plus the suffix -lik, which forms adjectives meaning "characterized by" or "pertaining to." The genitive singular ending -u is applied when the following noun is in genitive.

Usage considerations: oskusliku is not a standalone lexical item but a morphological inflection of oskuslik. It appears primarily in constructions that require a genitive noun phrase. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for alternative phrasing that avoids the genitive, such as using the nominative form oskuslik with a nominative noun, or rephrasing to emphasize the skill directly.

See also: oskuslik, oskus, Estonian grammar.