Pohjautui

Pohjautui is the past tense form of the Finnish verb pohjautua, meaning to be based on or to rest on. It is used to indicate that a claim, decision, analysis, or other statement derived its basis from another source, such as data, evidence, laws, or prior work.

The verb pohjautua is typically considered intransitive and is used with a complement that indicates the basis of the thing being described. In Finnish, the complements are commonly expressed in illative plural forms such as lähteisiin, tutkimuksiin, or lakipykliin, signaling what the subject was based on. For example, "Päätös pohjautui lakipykäliin ja aiempiin tutkimuksiin" means that the decision was based on the provisions and earlier studies.

Usage and nuance: pohjautua emphasizes grounding or foundation in external sources or authorities. It is common in formal and scholarly writing, journalism, and policy discussions. It can describe how reasoning, conclusions, or narratives derive their legitimacy from particular data, theories, or rules. While similar in meaning to perustua, pohjautua often conveys a stronger sense of grounding in concrete sources.

Related terms and alternatives: perustua, nojautua, and saattaa tarkoittaa samaa ideaa hieman eri vivahteella. Pohjautua can be used with nouns indicating the basis (source, evidence, law, principle) and is usually more technical or analytical in tone than everyday synonyms.

See also: perustua; nojata; lähteet; tutkimukset.