sõnadestes

Sõnadestes is the plural ablative form of the Estonian noun sõna (word). It marks origin, source, or separation from a set of words and is commonly translated as “from the words.” In Estonian grammar, the ablative plural is formed by adding the ending -dest, producing sõnadest from the base sõna.

The form is primarily used in linguistic descriptions, discussions of quotations, or etymological references where information is described as coming from multiple words. It functions as a grammatical inflection rather than as a standalone lexical item.

Compared with the singular illative or ablative forms, sõnadest specifically denotes more than one word as the source. The corresponding singular form would be sõnast (“from the word”), while other related forms include sõnade (genitive plural) and sõnadega (with the words).

In usage, sõnadestes appears in formal or academic Estonian texts, particularly in analyses of textual sources or discussions of how meanings are derived from word material. It is one of several case-based endings that illustrate how Estonian nouns change to indicate relationship to other words within a sentence.

See also: Estonian grammar, Ablative case, Noun declension.