põleva

Põleva is an Estonian term commonly encountered as an adjective form related to burning or fire. It is derived from the verb põlema, meaning to burn, and appears in various inflected forms to agree with nouns in sentences. In everyday use, põleva describes things that burn, glow, or are associated with combustion, such as flames or combustible materials, and it is also employed in more figurative expressions.

In linguistic and practical contexts, põleva forms part of a larger stem associated with fire and heat. It is used to build compound terms and descriptive phrases, and its meaning can shift slightly depending on grammatical context and surrounding words. The word belongs to a semantic field that includes other fire-related terms such as tuli (fire) and leek (flame), and it often conveys notions of energy, danger, or intensity.

A well-known derivative in Estonian is põlevkivi, which translates to oil shale. The term literally evokes the idea of a rock capable of burning, reflecting historical and industrial relevance in Estonia, where oil shale has played a significant role in energy production and geology.

See also: põlevkivi, tuli, leek, põlemine.