sõnadesse

Sõnadesse is a grammatical form in Estonian meaning “into words.” It is the illative plural form of the noun sõna, used to indicate movement toward or insertion into words, often in the sense of expressing something verbally or in written form.

Morphologically, sõnadesse is built from the plural stem sõnad (words) with the genitive plural sõnade and the illative plural suffix -desse, yielding sõnadesse. This form answers the question “into which words?” and is typically used with verbs of putting, placing, or expressing, such as panna or kirjutada.

In use, sõnadesse is found in phrases that describe shaping or articulating thought by using language. Common expressions include panna mõtted sõnadesse (to put one’s thoughts into words) and võtta sõnadesse (to express something in words). It can appear in more formal or literary contexts as well as in everyday speech when stressing the act of verbal or written articulation.

Examples:

- Ta pani oma mõtted sõnadesse. (He/She put his/her thoughts into words.)

- Teosed tuleb sõnadesse panna, et neid mõistetavalt edasi anda. (Works must be put into words to convey them clearly.)

See also: sõna, sõnad, illatiiv, Estonian grammar. Sõnadesse serves as a concrete illustration of how Estonian forms direction toward linguistic expression through the illative plural of the noun “word.”