lampaita

Lampaita is the Finnish plural partitive form of lammas, meaning sheep. The word is used to refer to an indeterminate quantity of sheep or to sheep as a group in sentences that require the partitive case, for example, "minulla on lampaita" (I have some sheep). The nominative plural is lampaat.

Sheep are domesticated ruminant mammals (Ovis aries) kept around the world for meat, wool, and sometimes milk. They are social herd animals that graze on grasses and low vegetation, relying on ruminant digestion. Flocks are typically led by ewes or rams, and breeding is managed to regulate lambing seasons and productivity. Common care includes shelter in cold climates, fencing, nutrition, parasite control, and breeding selection.

In Finland and other temperate regions, sheep farming is practiced on small and medium-sized farms. Breeds are chosen for cold tolerance, wool quality, and meat or milk traits. Winter housing and supplementary feeding are common to protect flocks from harsh weather.

Linguistically, lampaita reflects Finnish morphology: lampaat is the nominative plural; lampaita is the partitive plural. The term is widely used in everyday language, farm literature, and education when referring to sheep as livestock or in statements about meat and wool production.