õpipoisile

Õpipoisile is the allative singular form of the Estonian noun õpipoiss, meaning “to the apprentice” or “for the apprentice.” It is used to mark the indirect object in sentences, typically when something is given to, or directed at, an apprentice.

Origin and meaning: Õpipoiss (literally “one who learns a trade”) combines õpp- (“to learn”) with poiss (“boy”). In medieval and early modern Estonia, an õpipoiss was a youth bound by a contract to a master craftsman to learn a craft. The term remains part of the historical vocabulary and is encountered mainly in discussions of traditional guilds, apprenticeships, and related contexts. The allative form õpipoisile is a grammatical inflection rather than a separate lexical item in modern everyday speech.

Usage: The allative case signals direction toward or benefit to a recipient. Examples include: “Õpipoisile anti juhised” (Instructions were given to the apprentice) and “Ma annan selle õpipoisile” (I am giving this to the apprentice). In contemporary Estonian, the word õpipoiss is more common for “apprentice,” while õpipoisile appears primarily in formal, historical, or instructional contexts.

See also: õpipoiss; meister; töökoolitus; õppimine.