ülemäärast

Ülemäärast is an Estonian linguistic form meaning an excess or surplus, referring to a quantity or degree that goes beyond what is necessary or appropriate. Grammatically it is the partitive singular form of the adjective ülemäärane, and is used to describe excessive amounts of something.

Etymology and nuance: the word is built from the prefix üle- meaning over or above, combined with määrane or määr, related to boundary or limit. Ülemäärane therefore denotes something that exceeds a defined limit or norm. In Estonian, ülemäärast is commonly used in formal and technical language to emphasise excess in quantities, costs, or demands, often with a negative or cautionary tone.

Usage: ülemäärast is typically paired with a noun in the partitive case to indicate an excess of that noun. Examples include ülemäärast tarbimist (excess consumption), ülemäärast energiat (excess energy), or ülemäärast koormust (excessive load). It can also appear in phrases describing waste or inefficiency, such as ülemäärast raiskamist (excess waste). In everyday language, more common synonyms like liigne or liigse may be used, but ülemäärast carries a stronger sense of deviation from a norm or limit.

Related concepts: liigne, liigene, ülemäärasus, liigkasvatus. In statistics and policy texts, ülemäärast is often contrasted with mõõdukus (moderation) and tasakaal (balance).

See also:

- ülemäärane

- liigne

- mõõdukus

Note: The form ülemäärast functions as the partitive singular of ülemäärane and is used to modify nouns that appear in the partitive case.