väljakud

Väljakud is the plural form of the Estonian noun väljak. The word has several closely related meanings, depending on context. In everyday language it refers to outdoor spaces that are used by the public and can function as gathering places, markets, or ceremonial spaces. In urban planning and everyday speech, a väljak is a public square or plaza, typically a paved open area surrounded by streets and buildings.

In sports and recreation, väljak denotes a field or court used for games or training. This includes outdoor fields for football (jalgpalliväljak), fields or courts for tennis, basketball, and other activities. The term emphasizes the space's function for organized play, practice, or events, rather than just any open ground.

In toponymy, the word appears in many place names, indicating historic or present-use spaces that served as squares, markets, or playing fields. Thus Väljakud can refer to multiple such spaces across towns and districts, or to specific examples in a given locality when used in a generic sense.

Overall, väljakud describes a versatile concept in Estonian for publicly accessible outdoor spaces used for social life, sports, and communal activities. The exact interpretation is guided by the surrounding words and the context in which it appears.