tundega

Tundega is a linguistic term found in discussions of Estonian grammar. It is the comitative form of the noun tund, which can mean “lesson” or “class period.” The comitative form is used to express accompaniment or association with the noun, roughly corresponding to the English preposition “with.”

The formation is through the addition of the comitative suffix -ga to the noun. For stems like tund, standard surface forms include tundega, though phonological context or dialectal variation can yield related spellings such as tundaga in some sources. In contemporary Standard Estonian, tundega is primarily encountered in grammatical descriptions, dictionaries, and instructional materials that illustrate the comitative construction. It is not generally treated as a separate lexical item with a distinct meaning beyond “with a lesson,” but rather as a grammatical inflection of tund.

In use, tundega serves to show that something is done in the company of or in association with a lesson or class, rather than replacing more common periphrastic expressions in everyday speech. Because Estonian employs a range of case- and mood-marking constructions, tundega is most often discussed in the context of syntax and morphology rather than as a frequently occurring phrase in ordinary conversation.

Etymology derives tund from the language’s base meaning related to instruction or time in a lesson, with the comitative suffix -ga attached to yield tundega. See also Estonian grammar and comitative case in linguistic references.