keltaantua

Keltaantua is a Finnish verb meaning to turn yellow or to become yellowish in color. It is used for natural color changes in living organisms and in materials, such as leaves, fruit, textiles, paper, or photographs, when they take on a yellow hue due to aging, exposure to light, or ripening processes.

The word is formed from the adjective keltainen (yellow) with the derivational suffix -ntua, which marks a change of state. Keltaantua is an intransitive verb and follows standard Finnish conjugation patterns for verbs of this type, with forms such as keltaantuu in the present and keltaantui in the past, and keltaantunut as the past participle.

Usage examples are common in nature writing and everyday observation. For instance, a text might state that lehdet keltaantuvat syksyllä, meaning that the leaves turn yellow in autumn. Another example could describe fruit or textiles that keltaantuvat over time due to exposure or aging. The term is often used descriptively rather than metaphorically, though it can appear in literary contexts to suggest aging or deterioration.

Related terms include the noun keltaantuminen (the process of turning yellow) and the adjective keltainen (yellow). The concept is part of ordinary color-change vocabulary in Finnish and is contrasted with other color-change verbs such as sinistua (to turn blue) or ruskeantua (to turn brown).

See also: keltainen, keltaantuminen, värimuutos, dyeing and aging terminology.