Poikkeaan

Poikkeaan is a Finnish verb form relating to the verb poiketa, meaning to deviate, to detour, or to depart from a path, standard, or expectation. In everyday Finnish, the present tense first-person singular form is typically poikkean, while poikkeaan can appear in some dialects, older texts, or poetic contexts as a variant. The form highlights the idea of moving away from a prescribed route or rule.

Poiketa is a type I (regular) verb. Its present indicative forms include minä poikkean, sinä poikkeat, hän poikkeaa, me poikkeamme, te poikkeatte, he poikkeavat. The verb can be used both literally, such as changing one’s course on a road (poikkeaa reitiltä), and figuratively, such as deviating from a plan or norm (poikkeaa kaavasta, poikkeaa totutusta käytöksestä). The noun poikkeama (deviation) and the related term poikkeus (exception) derive from the same root, underscoring the theme of divergence or departure from the expected.

Usage notes emphasize that poiketa and its forms are flexible in many contexts. Literally, it can describe physical detours or departures from a route; figuratively, it can express departure from conventions, rules, or expectations. In formal writing, the standard present tense form poikkean is preferred for the first person, while poikkeaa and other forms follow regular inflection patterns of Finnish verbs.

Etymologically, poiketa stems from the Finnic root associated with turning aside or diverging, a semantic core that links physical deviation with broader notions of exception or irregularity in language and behavior.

See also: poiketa, poikkeama, poikkeus.