põhjustavaid

Põhjustavaid is an Estonian participial adjective form derived from the verb põhiustama? Actually from põhjus? Correction: derived from the verb põhjustama, meaning to cause. The form põhjustav denotes something that causes or is causative, and põhjustavaid is the plural partitive form used when describing multiple indefinite objects or when the action is treated as ongoing or non-countable in that case.

In usage, põhjustav or its inflected forms describe factors, effects, or actions that cause another event or outcome. It is common in academic, scientific, and analytical texts to refer to “põhjustavaid tegureid” (causative factors) or similar phrases, where the noun being described is in the partitive plural. The construction helps emphasize the ongoing or non-specific nature of the causes.

Morphologically, põhjustav is formed from the verbal stem põhjust- (to cause) plus the active participle suffix -av. The form põhjustavaid marks the plural partitive, used with plural nouns in partitive case, for example: erinevaid põhjustavaid tegureid (various causative factors).

Relation to related terms: põhjustav contrasts with põhjus (cause) and põhjustama (to cause). While põhjus is a noun, põhjustav is an adjectival participle that describes something that causes. The adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, with põhjustavaid specifically aligning with masculine/feminine plural nouns in the partitive.

See also: põhjustama, põhjus, and other Estonian participial adjectives.