kelluttaa

Kelluttaa is a Finnish verb meaning to toll or to ring, specifically referring to bells or clocks producing a ringing sound at a defined time. The primary sense concerns the use of bells in churches or town clocks to mark hours, moments of prayer, or ceremonial events. In literary or journalistic contexts, you may encounter sentences describing bells tolling, for example: "Kellot kellottivat tasan klo kaksitoista," meaning that the clocks tolled exactly at twelve.

Morphology and usage notes: Kelluttaa follows the typical pattern of -ottaa verbs in Finnish. Conjugation examples include: minä kellotan, sinä kellotat, hän kellottaa, me kellotamme, te kellotatte, he kellottavat. The subject is usually an inanimate agent such as bells or a clock. The verb can be used in past, present, or future contexts as part of standard narration or description. The core sense remains the audible signaling produced by the instrument rather than an action performed by a person.

Related terms and senses: The noun kellotus refers to the act of tolling or the sound of tolling. While kelluttaa is primarily literal, the expression can be extended metaphorically in poetry or prose to evoke the passage of time or ceremonial gravitas.

Etymology: The form is derived from kello, meaning clock or bell, with the productive suffix -ottaa that creates verbs denoting a specific action performed by the root noun.

See also: kello, kellotus, tollo/traditionally used terms for bells and time signaling.