kerrottuja

Kerrottuja is a Finnish adjective form derived from the verb kertoa, meaning “told” or “reported.” It is the plural attributive form of the past passive participle kerrottu and is used to describe plural nouns, indicating that the described items have been related by someone. The typical construction is kerrottuja + plural noun in the partitive or other cases, for example kerrottuja tarinoita meaning “stories that have been told.”

Etymology and morphology: kerrottuja combines the stem of kertoa with the past passive participle kerrottu and the plural adjective ending -ja/-ä to agree with a following plural noun. This pattern is common in Finnish for forming adjectives from verbs that describe information or narratives that originate in someone’s retelling rather than in direct, original sources.

Usage and nuance: kerrottuja is most common in contexts where information is secondhand or anecdotal, such as journalism, folklore, oral history, or literary narration. It signals that the content has been relayed by someone else. The term can imply a degree of informality or unverified status, depending on context, and it is typically contrasted with terms that denote verified information or official sources.

Examples:

- Kerrottuja tarinoita kuuluu kiertävän kylässä. (Stories that have been told are heard circulating in the village.)

- Toutan kerrottuja tapauksia arkeologisessa raportissa. (I discuss reported cases in the archaeological report.)

See also: kertoa, kerrottu, participles in Finnish, partitive, reported information.