lahdet

Lahdet is the Finnish plural form of lahti, a common noun meaning "bay" or "inlet." In Finnish grammar lahti is singular and lahdet denotes two or more bays; its basic morphological forms include genitive lahden and partitive lahtia. The word is cognate with Estonian laht and stems from Proto-Finnic roots designating coastal or inland water recesses.

In geographical usage lahdet describes multiple embayments along a coastline, lake shore or archipelago. The term appears frequently in topographical descriptions, cartography and local place names, where it can denote a series of small inlets, sheltered harbors or connected water bodies. Finnish landscapes, with extensive coastlines and numerous lakes, commonly feature lahdet as important natural features for navigation, fishing and settlement.

Linguistically, lahdet is used in everyday speech and in written Finnish to indicate plurality and is combined with modifiers and locative constructions to express position, ownership and movement (for example rannalla lahdet, "the bays at the shore"). It should not be confused with similar-looking Finnish words such as lähteet (springs), which has a different root and meaning. The term reflects the close relationship between Finnish language and the maritime and lacustrine environment of the region.