pöördmoodustus

Pöördmoodustus is a term found in some Estonian linguistic descriptions used to refer to a particular type of grammatical construction that involves a turning or reversal of typical argument relations within a clause. The word is formed from pöörd, meaning “to turn” or “reverse,” and moodustus, meaning “construction” or “formation.” In the literature, the label is sometimes used to describe non-canonical ways of encoding who affects whom in a sentence, often linked to a deviation from the ordinary active voice.

In description, pöördmoodustus denotes a verbal or syntactic strategy that contrasts with the standard active construction and, in some analyses, with passive or inverse voice systems. The specific realization of pöördmoodustus varies by dialect and theoretical framework; some researchers treat it as a type of inverse voice, while others analyze it as a marked mood or aspectual construction. The functional interpretation commonly centers on shifting emphasis among participants, signaling a reversal of typical agent–patient roles, foregrounding the action’s result, or marking a special interaction between actions and their participants.

The term is not universally adopted across grammars and remains a topic of theoretical discussion rather than a widely standardized category. It is primarily of interest to linguists examining voice systems, argument structure, and cross-linguistic syntactic alternations within Estonian or related languages.

See also: grammatical voice, inverse voice, passive voice, Estonian syntax.