Kätköön

Kätköön is a Finnish verb form derived from the verb kätkeä, which means to hide or conceal. It is the jussive (optative) mood form, used to express a wish, request, or exhortation, similar to the English “let it be hidden” or “may it be kept hidden.”

In use, kätköön appears in formal, ceremonial, or literary Finnish rather than everyday speech. It often stands alone as a short clause or begins a line in a prayer, oath, or official instruction, where the speaker articulates a wished-for state of concealment or secrecy. The subject of the clause is typically implicit, and the thing to be hidden is placed in the nominative with the verb expressing the intention to conceal.

Examples of typical usage include phrases such as “Kätköön tieto,” meaning “Let the information be hidden,” or similar formulations addressing a piece of information, a secret, or other matter that should remain concealed. Because it is a mood form rather than a common imperative, kätköön conveys a sense of formality and solemnity.

Etymology and related forms: kätköön comes from the verb kätkeä with the jussive suffix -köön, which is used to express wishes or commands in the third person or impersonal constructions. Related nouns include kätkö (hiding place) and kätköinen (concealed, hidden). The ordinary present or imperative forms of kätkeä (such as kätke, kätkeessä) serve different syntactic purposes and are used in everyday Finnish.

See also: kätkeä, kätkö, salaisuus.