välismaine

Välismaine is an Estonian adjective meaning foreign or external. It describes things that originate outside Estonia or are associated with foreign countries, cultures, or contexts. The term is commonly used for goods, cultures, media, laws, or experiences that come from abroad or from outside the domestic sphere.

In everyday language, välismaine can refer to a wide range of foreign associations, such as välismaine kultuur (foreign culture), välismaine toiduaine (foreign food product), or välismaine reis (trip abroad). It is often contrasted with kodumaine, which denotes something produced in or associated with one’s own country. While välismaine focuses on origin or externality, kodumaine emphasizes domestic origin or production.

When referring to people, the adjective is not typically used for individuals; instead, the noun form välismaalane (foreigner) is used. The corresponding plural is välismaalased. The word also appears in legal or economic phrases, such as välismaine turism (foreign tourism), välismaine kaupandus (foreign trade), and discussions of foreign markets. In official or international contexts, rahvusvaheline is another common term that stresses international status or relations rather than origin alone.

See also: kodumaine, välismaa, välismaalane, rahvusvaheline.