üldtõttu

üldtõttu is an Estonian word that translates to "generally" or "on the whole" in English. It is an adverb used to indicate that something is true or happens in most cases, but not necessarily all. It suggests a broad tendency or a common pattern.

The word is composed of two parts: "üld" meaning "general" or "overall," and "tõttu" which is the translative case of "tõttu," meaning "because of" or "due to." Thus, a literal interpretation of "üldtõttu" could be "due to the general" or "because of the overall." However, its idiomatic usage has evolved to mean "generally speaking."

For instance, in a sentence like "üldtõttu lapsed armastavad mängida" (generally children love to play), it implies that while there might be individual exceptions, the overwhelming majority of children enjoy playing. It is a useful word for making generalizations or summaries without claiming absolute certainty. It can be used interchangeably with other adverbs that convey a similar meaning of prevalence, such as "tavaliselt" (usually) or "enamasti" (mostly), though "üldtõttu" often carries a slightly more formal or encompassing tone.