Muuttaja

Muuttaja is a Finnish noun meaning “a person who moves” or “one who changes.” In ordinary language it refers to someone who has recently changed residence, i.e., a person who is moving or has moved to a new home. In sociological and demographic contexts the term is extended to mean a migrant—someone who relocates to a different region or country for reasons such as work, study, safety, or family. The word is formed from the verb muuttaa (“to move” or “to change”) with the agent suffix -ja.

The singular nominative form is muuttaja, and the plural is muuttajat. It follows the typical pattern of Finnish -ja/-ä nouns and inflects like other agent-noun words (for example muuttajan in the genitive, muuttajaa in the partitive). It is a common, gender-neutral noun.

Usage of the term spans everyday language and official discourse. In statistics and public discussion, "muuttaja" helps distinguish people who relocate from those who do not, and it is often specified as internal (within the country) or international (across borders). When speaking informally, a person who has just moved into a new residence can be described as a muuttaja, though more precise phrases may be used depending on context (e.g., “vastaanottanut muuttajat” for new residents in a community).

See also: migration, relocation, immigrant, emigration, internal migration, muutto, muuttaminen.