peamiste

Peamiste is the genitive plural form of the Estonian adjective peamine, which means main or principal. In Estonian, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in number and case; when used with plural nouns in the genitive case, the ending typically becomes -iste. Therefore, peamine becomes peamiste in phrases where the noun is in genitive plural.

Usage and function: Peamiste is used to indicate primacy among a set of items and is common in formal, analytical, or academic writing. It typically appears in noun phrases where the related noun is in genitive plural, signaling “the main …” or “of the main …” Examples include manipulating and discussing essential elements such as causes, topics, or questions.

Examples:

- peamiste põhjuste analüüs (analysis of the main causes)

- peamiste teemade loetelu (a list of the main topics)

- peamiste küsimuste esitus (presentation of the main questions)

Notes: Peamiste is not a standalone concept; it is a grammatical form that expresses the idea of primacy through its agreement with a following genitive plural noun. The corresponding nominative plural form is peamised (the main ones), used when the noun is in nominative plural rather than genitive. Other case forms of peamine exist for different grammatical roles, but peamiste specifically marks the genitive plural.

See also: peamine, peamised, Estonian grammar, adjectives in Estonian.