juovainen

Juovainen is a Finnish adjective meaning striped, banded, or variegated. It is used to describe patterns that consist of alternating bands or lines of different colors or tones. The word is formed from juova, meaning stripe or band, with the suffix -inen, making it a common descriptive term in Finnish.

In biology and natural history, juovainen is employed to describe markings on animals, fur, plumage, or other natural patterns that show regular bands or stripes. In textiles and fashion, the term is widely used to refer to fabrics, garments, or prints with visible stripes, such as a juovainen villapaita (striped sweater) or juovainen kankaankudonta (striped fabric weave). The concept is closely related to, but sometimes distinguished from, raidallinen (striped or banded in a broader sense) and juovikas (variegated or mottled with stripes).

Usage notes emphasize that juovainen conveys a sense of distinct, regular bands, whereas more irregular or mottled patterns may be described with other terms. The word can appear in descriptive writing, scientific descriptions of animal markings, and discussions of design and fashion.

See also: juova (stripe), raidallinen (striped pattern), juovikas (variegated).