Kunnioitettiin

Kunnioitettiin is the third-person plural past passive form of the Finnish verb "kunnioittaa," which means "to respect," "to honor," or "to esteem." Therefore, "kunnioitettiin" translates to "was respected," "were respected," "was honored," "were honored," "was esteemed," or "were esteemed." This grammatical form indicates that a group of people or things were the recipients of respect, honor, or esteem in the past.

The verb "kunnioittaa" is a common and versatile verb in the Finnish language. Its past passive form, "kunnioitettiin," is used to describe situations where a collective entity or multiple individuals were held in high regard. For example, one might say "Heitä kunnioitettiin kovasti heidän työstään" which means "They were greatly respected for their work." This form is often used in historical accounts, biographical narratives, or when discussing societal attitudes towards certain groups or individuals in the past.

The passive voice in Finnish, as exemplified by "kunnioitettiin," emphasizes the action received rather than the agent performing it. This can be useful when the performer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or when the focus is intentionally placed on the object of the respect or honor. The plural form "kunnioitettiin" specifically denotes that the respect or honor was directed towards more than one subject.