põhiseadustel

Põhiseadustel is the Estonian adessive plural form of põhiseadus, meaning constitution. It is used in legal and formal language to indicate location or context relating to more than one constitution, roughly translating to “on the constitutions” or “in the constitutions.”

Grammatically, põhiseadustel is formed by applying the adessive plural ending -tel to the noun põhiseadus. The form commonly appears in phrases that refer to provisions or statements contained in constitutions, especially in comparative or historical discussions about multiple constitutional documents.

Usage and examples develop a clear sense of its function. It often occurs in phrases such as põhiseadustel sätestatud põhiõigused, meaning the fundamental rights laid down in the constitutions. In such constructions, an accompanying predicate or noun phrase describes what is stated or established by the constitutions. The adessive plural provides a precise way to reference the constitutions as sources or frameworks in plural form, without specifying a particular country or time period.

The term is primarily found in legal, political, and academic Estonian texts. Its correct use depends on context and agreement with surrounding nouns and verbs, and it is less common in everyday speech compared with singular forms.

See also: põhiseadus, põhiõigused, põhiseaduslik kord.