Velvoittu

Velvoittu is a Finnish grammatical form that is sometimes described as a passive participle meaning someone has become bound by an obligation. In everyday, contemporary Finnish the corresponding and more common form is velvoitettu, as in “osapuoli on velvoitettu noudattamaan ehtoja.” Velvoittu is not widely used in modern standard language and is often regarded as archaic, dialectal, or stylistically peculiar in legal and formal writing.

Etymology and formation: velvoittu is built from the verb velvoittaa, which means to oblige or bind by an obligation, with a participial suffix that resembles the pattern used to form adjectives describing a state or condition. The more standard participle used today is velvoitettu, which follows the regular language conventions for the passive past participle of velvoittaa.

Usage and registers: Because velvoittu is uncommon in current standard Finnish, it appears mainly in older texts, certain legal or ceremonial contexts, or dialectal speech. In modern Finnish, speakers and writers typically use velvoitettu or alternative constructions such as “on velvoitettu” to express that someone is bound by a contractual or normative obligation. The term does not represent a separate legal concept beyond its role as a grammatical indicator of obligation.

Relation to related terms: velvoite refers to the obligation or duty itself; velvoittaa is the verb “to oblige” or “to impose an obligation”; velvoittaminen refers to the act of obligating or imposing obligations. Velvoittu functions as one of several forms that convey the state of being obligated, with velvoitettu being the preferred modern equivalent.