abikaasa

== Estonian == === Etymology === abi (“help”) +‎ kaasa (“companion”) === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɑb̥iˌkɑˑsɑ/, [ˈɑb̥iˌkɑˑsɑ] Rhymes: -ɑˑsɑ Hyphenation: abi‧kaa‧sa === Noun === abikaasa (genitive abikaasa, partitive abikaasat) spouse, husband, wife Synonyms: kaasa, (specifically a husband) mees, (specifically a wife) naine, (even more specifically a husband) abielumees, (even more specifically a wife) abielunaine Jaani abikaasa Ann ― John's wife Ann Mari abikaasa Jüri ― Mary's husband George ==== Usage notes ==== Estonian often doesn't distinguish gender, so it is common to refer to a husband or wife just as a spouse. Making explicit reference to the spouse's gender (using the synonyms listed above) can be seen as informal or even rude. ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== === References === abikaasa in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut) “abikaasa”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009