Allattavat

Allattavat is a Finnish linguistic form that can be described as the present passive participle plural of a verb that would mean to feed or nourish. In practice, the verb itself is rare in modern everyday language, and the form allattavat is most often encountered in dictionaries, linguistic descriptions, or older texts to label or describe items or beings that are to receive nourishment. As such, allattavat functions primarily as an attributive or predicative expression rather than a common everyday noun.

The morphology of allattavat follows standard Finnish participle formation: the stem would be combined with the present passive participle suffix -vat, yielding a plural form that can act as an adjective or as a short noun phrase equivalent to “the ones to be fed.” This is analogous to other Finnish constructs such as syötävät (edible) or ruokittavat (to be fed), though allattavat remains comparatively uncommon and context-dependent.

Usage and notes:

- Allattavat is typically found in more formal, instructional, or historical texts. In contemporary Finnish, speakers are more likely to use explicit phrases such as “eläimet, joita ruokitaan” (the animals that are fed) or verbs like ruokkia to convey feeding actions.

- When used, allattavat generally refers to plural subjects intended to receive nourishment, such as animals, plants in a controlled feeding regimen, or other beings under care in an agricultural or veterinary setting.

- For clarity and comuniability, writers often replace allattavat with more explicit wording rather than relying on the participial form.

See also: ruokkia, syötävä, imettäminen, allattaa (rare/archaic).