etääntää

etääntää is a Finnish verb meaning to distance, separate, or move away. It can be used in both literal and figurative senses.

Literally, etääntää refers to the physical act of increasing the space between two or more objects or entities. For example, one might etääntää chairs from each other to create more space in a room. It can also describe the act of moving oneself or something else further away from a point of origin or a reference.

Figuratively, etääntää can describe the creation of emotional or social distance. For instance, a disagreement might etääntää friends, leading to a lack of communication or closeness. It can also refer to the process of becoming detached or disinterested in something. In a broader sense, it can imply making something less relevant or important.

The verb is derived from the adjective etä, meaning distant or far. The suffix -ntää is a causative suffix, indicating that the action causes something to become distant. The opposite of etääntää is yleensä lähentää, meaning to bring closer. Examples of usage include "hän etääntää auton tien sivuun" (he moves the car to the side of the road) and "riita etäänsi heidät toisistaan" (the argument distanced them from each other).