vähenemises

Vähenemises is an Estonian linguistic term used to describe the inessive form of the noun vähenemine, which means decrease or decline. The word vähenemises conveys the sense of being in the process of decreasing or existing in a state of decline. In grammar, vähenemises is the inessive case form, indicating location or state, and it commonly appears in clauses with a copula such as on (is), to express that a variable is currently shrinking.

Etymology and form: Vähenemises is built from the stem vähenemine (decrease) plus the Estonian inessive suffix -s. It contrasts with other cases of the same noun, such as vähenemise (genitive) or vähenemist (partitive), which have different grammatical functions.

Usage: The term is used mainly in formal, academic, or technical Estonian writing to describe ongoing declines in various domains, including demography, economics, ecology, and resource use. It emphasizes a continuous process rather than a completed event, helping to describe trends and trajectories over time.

Contexts and examples: In a sentence, one might find: Rahvaarv on vähenemises, indicating that the population is in a state of decline. The phrase signals that future monitoring or intervention may be relevant to address the downward trend.

See also: vähenemine (decrease), langus (decline). The concept is related to statistical and analytical reporting of trends, where inessive forms like vähenemises help specify a current state within a longer temporal sequence.