Kirjannut

Kirjannut is a Finnish verb form that functions as a past participle of verbs related to writing or inscribing. It is used to indicate that the action of writing, engraving, or marking has taken place, and it can appear in sentences with auxiliary verbs to express perfect aspect, such as “on kirjannut,” meaning “has written/inscribed.”

Etymology and morphology: The form is built from the root kirja- (book, letter) and the participial suffix -nut/-nyt, which yields a past participle. This pattern is typical for Finnish verbs that describe actions leaving a lasting mark, such as inscriptions on stone, wood, metal, or parchment. The participle can function both in verbal constructions and as a predicative or attributive modifier describing something that has been inscribed.

Usage: In modern Finnish, kirjoittaa (to write) is the common everyday verb, while kirjannut tends to appear in more formal, historical, or technical contexts—especially when describing inscriptions, epigraphy, or artifacts where something has been written or inscribed. It is less common in casual speech and is more typical in archaeology reports, art history, museum labeling, and scholarly writing about inscriptions or engraved texts.

Relation to other forms: Kirjannut differs from the past participle of kirjoittaa (kirjoittanut), which is the more standard form for “written” in many contexts. Kirjannut specifically conveys the sense of inscribing or carving as a lasting mark, whereas kirjoittanut emphasizes plain writing of text.

See also: Finnish grammar, participles, epigraphy, inscription, inscriptional art.