riietada

Riietada is an Estonian verb meaning to dress or clothe someone or something, i.e., to put clothing on a person, animal, or object. It is used transitively to describe the act of providing apparel and is common in everyday language as well as in contexts such as fashion, caregiving, and stage directions. An example sentence is ta riietab last, meaning “she dresses the child.”

The past participle form riietatud means “dressed” and appears in compound tenses and as an adjective, for example, riietatud inimene, meaning “a dressed person.” Related terms include riietus, referring to attire or clothing, and riided, the plural noun for clothes. The verb can also be used in contexts involving dressing mannequins, dolls, or costumes for theater or film, and it may appear in figurative expressions related to preparing someone for an appearance or event, akin to the English “to dress up.” The corresponding reflexive verb riietuma denotes dressing oneself.

Etymology in the Estonian vocabulary places riietada within the clothing and attire semantic field, with roots linked to garment-related terms and concepts of dress. The word interacts with other terms for clothing and style to describe how a person or object is equipped for wear or appearance.

See also: Estonian language; clothing; fashion; dress.