Lähdes

Lähdes is a form you may encounter in Finnish texts, but it is not a standard modern Finnish word on its own. The base word is lähde, meaning source or spring. In everyday Finnish, the usual plural nominative is lähteet and the genitive is lähteen; the plural genitive is lähteiden. When you encounter lähdes, it is often a misspelling or may appear as a proper noun such as a place name or surname.

As a natural spring, a lähde is a point where groundwater emerges at the surface, often forming a stream or contributing to a watershed. Springs vary by geology, temperature, and mineral content, and they may be used for drinking water, ecological habitats, or cultural practices. In hydrology, documenting a spring involves mapping its location, discharge, and water quality.

As a source of information, or a source for data and quotations, the term refers to the origin of a fact, idea, or dataset. In Finnish academic and journalistic writing, the reliability and traceability of sources are essential; writers list lähteet (references) to allow readers to verify information. Good practice includes providing author, title, year, publisher or URL, and, where applicable, date of access.

Common related terms include lähde (source) and lähteet (sources), and the broader practice of citation and source criticism.