Ylikirjoitettu

Ylikirjoitettu is a Finnish adjective meaning “written over” or “overwritten.” It is formed from the prefix yli- meaning “over,” the verb kirjoittaa meaning “to write,” and the past participle suffix -ttu, yielding ylikirjoitettu. The term describes text that has been written on top of existing writing, such as in manuscripts or edits where new writing partially or completely covers older content.

In practice, ylikirjoitettu is used mainly in descriptive or editorial contexts to indicate that an original line or character was overwritten by subsequent writing. It is a descriptive label rather than a common typographic category, and in everyday usage speakers often prefer phrases like päälle kirjoitettu or korjattu teksti. The concept is therefore more frequent in discussions of manuscript practices, proofreading, or archival work than in routine typography.

Etymology and related forms are straightforward within Finnish morphology: the word derives from yli- plus kirjoittaa with the participle ending -ttu. Related terms include ylikirjoitus, the noun form referring to the act or result of overwriting, and the general prefix yli- used to convey “over” in various compound words. In modern digital contexts, the notion is typically described with simpler phrases rather than the standalone adjective ylikirjoitettu.