Kuolettaa

Kuolettaa is a Finnish transitive verb meaning to cause death or to render someone dead. It can also mean to deaden or numb a sense or symptom, especially in medical or pharmacological contexts. The verb expresses a causal outcome rather than the agent’s direct action.

Etymology and form: Kuolettaa is formed from the verb kuolla (to die) with the causative sense conveyed by the -ttaa ending. It belongs to the class of Finnish verbs that create a causative meaning, and it is used with a direct object representing the person or thing whose death or end result is produced.

Usage: The term is relatively formal and more likely to appear in medical, legal, or journalistic language than in everyday speech. It is often used to describe events or processes that result in death, for example when disease, injury, or treatment “kills” or ends a life. It can also be used in more literal contexts to mean to kill, or in a broader sense to cause the demise of something. In pharmacology or medicine, kuolettaa can mean to deaden or suppress symptoms or sensations.

Semantics and nuance: The sense of kuolettaa emphasizes the causal outcome—the production of death or death-like effect—rather than the agent’s intentional act. It can be employed metaphorically to mean eliminating or neutralizing a threat, a problem, or a risk, though such usage tends to be more formal or technical.

See also: kuolema, kuolla, tappaa, surmata, kuolettaminen.