eriytä

Eriyttää is Finnish a transitive verb meaning to cause something to become separated or to differentiate and isolate elements from a whole. It can refer to physical separation, such as separating components, as well as to distinguishing or assigning parts, groups, or tasks in a broader sense. The noun forms eriytys, eriyttäminen, and eriytyminen describe the act or process of separation or differentiation.

Etymology and grammar: the word is built from the root eri- meaning 'different' or 'separate' and the causative suffix -yttää, producing a verb that means to make something separate. The verb is conjugated regularly: infinitive eriyttää, minä eriytän, sinä eriytät, hän eriyttää; past tense eriytti; passive past eriytettiin; participle eriytetty.

Usage: eriyttää is used in both literal and figurative contexts. In science and engineering, it can refer to separating components or data into distinct parts. In education, eriyttäminen (differentiated instruction) describes tailoring teaching approaches to meet individual learners’ needs. In social and policy discussions, eriytyminen can denote the development of social or economic segregation or differentiation among groups. The term is often preferred when the act involves intentional division or specification, as opposed to more neutral words like erottaa (to separate) or jakaa (to divide).

See also: eriytys, eriyttäminen, eriytyminen.