põhisel

Põhisel is an Estonian adjective form used to express that something is based on or derived from a certain basis, such as data, a method, or information. In English it is commonly translated as “based on” or “on the basis of.” The word is most often found in formal or academic writing to indicate the foundation for a claim, conclusion, or procedure.

Etymology and form

Põhisel comes from the noun põh ning the suffix -sel, which marks the adessive case in Estonian and conveys “on” or “on the basis of.” As a result, põhisel typically accompanies nouns in the adessive form, for example in phrases like põhisel andmetel or põhisel meetodil. This construction foregrounds the source or basis of what is being stated.

Usage

The expression is used to attribute a statement or result to its underlying basis. It is common in research, reports, and formal discourse. Põhisel emphasizes the supporting foundation more than a mere mention of sources; it signals that conclusions are contingent on the referenced data, method, or information. It can be considered synonymous with other basis-based formulations such as alusel, on the basis of, or based on, though kasutusnoodid may carry slightly different nuance depending on context.

Related terms

Põhisel is closely related to phrases that denote basis or origin, such as alusel or põhjal, and to adjectives like põhinev, meaning “based” or “founded.” In practice, escolha between these forms depends on stylistic preference and the syntactic requirements of the sentence.

See also

Estonian language, Estonian grammar, adessive case, basis expressions.