Poikkeatte

Poikkeatte is the second-person plural present indicative form of the Finnish verb poiketa, meaning to deviate, depart, or diverge. It is used to describe a group’s action of moving away from a plan, path, or norm. In English, it corresponds to “you (all) deviate” or “you are deviating.”

Morphology and form: poiketa is a Type I Finnish verb (ending in -a/-ä). Its present tense forms are: minä poikkean, sinä poikkeat, hän poikkeaa, me poikkeamme, te poikkeatte, he poikkeavat. The stem is poikke-, and the standard present-tense endings follow the regular pattern for -a/-ä verbs. The form poikkeatte specifically marks second-person plural.

Usage and nuances: The verb covers both physical and figurative deviation. It can describe leaving a route or plan, but also diverging from rules, expectations, or norms. Example sentences include: Te poikkeatte reitiltä. (You deviate from the route.) Me poikkeamme oikealle. (We deviate to the right.) He poikkeavat säännöistä. (They deviate from the rules.) In context, poikkeetta often implies a conscious or observable departure from what was intended or standard.

Etymology and register: Poiketa and its inflected forms come from native Finnish roots and are common across dialects and registers. Poikkeatte is a standard, neutral form suitable for everyday speech, writing, and formal contexts. The verb is widely used in discussions of navigation, planning, law, and social behavior, where deviation from a specified course is under consideration.