Kunnioitettujen

Kunnioitettujen is a Finnish grammatical form derived from the verb kunnioittaa, meaning to honor or respect. It is the genitive plural form of the past participle kunnioitettu, which functions as an adjective meaning “honored” or “respected.” In practice, kunnioitettujen is used to indicate possession or association with a group of people who are honored, for example in phrases like “kunnioitettujen joukko” (the group of the honored).

As a noun phrase, kunnioitettujen can stand in contexts where the group is referred to collectively in a genitive relationship to another noun. For instance, “kunnioitettujen nimet” means “the names of the honored.” In everyday language, the nominative plural form kunnioitetut is more common when the group is the subject of a sentence, as in “Kunnioitetut ovat saapuneet” (The honored have arrived). The genitive form kunnioitettujen often appears in official, ceremonial, or list-like contexts, such as program booklets, inscriptions, or formal speeches, where it denotes possession or association with a titled or respected group.

Etymologically, kunnioitettujen is built from kunnioittaa (to honor) plus the past participle suffix -ttu, with the genitive plural suffix -jen (phonologically realized as -tujen in this form). The word thus carries the nuance of social esteem and formal recognition.

In translation, kunnioitettujen is typically rendered as “the honored” or “of the honored,” depending on its grammatical role in the sentence. It denotes respect and ceremonial status, rather than a standalone noun with a separate meaning.