vastamis

Vastamis is an Estonian noun that designates the act or process of answering or replying in communication. It is closely related to the verb vastama, meaning to answer or respond. In everyday language, the more common nominalization for this action is vastamine, so vastamis appears relatively rare.

Etymologically, vastamis is built from the same verbal root as vastama, with a nominalizing suffix. This connects it to other Estonian formations that express actions as processes. The sense of vastamis centers on the act of replying itself rather than the content of the reply, which is typically captured by words such as vastus (an answer) or vastamine (the act of replying).

Usage of vastamis is predominantly seen in more formal, historical, or linguistic contexts. In contemporary Estonian, writers and speakers usually opt for vastamine when referring to the act of answering. Because vastamis is less common, it may be encountered mainly in dictionaries, linguistic discussions, or analyses of older texts and formal discourse.

Related terms include vastus (answer) and vastama (to answer), with vastamine as the standard noun for the action of replying. The existence of vastamis illustrates how Estonian forms actions from verbs using different nominalizing patterns, yielding variants that may carry slightly more specialized or archaic nuance.