leimaa

Leimaa is a Finnish verb form meaning to stamp, seal, imprint, or mark. In linguistic terms, leimaa is the present tense, third-person singular form of the verb leimata. The infinitive is leimata, and the related noun leima refers to the stamp, imprint, or mark itself.

The core sense of leimata is applying a mark or stamp to something, either physically with a stamp or seal, or metaphorically to indicate approval or verification. Common uses include stamping documents, labeling products, or marking items for identification. In bureaucratic or official contexts, processes may be described with leima as in “Hän leimaa asiakirjan” (He stamps the document) or “asiakirja on leimattu” (the document has been stamped).

The term is often encountered with the related noun leima and the gerund form leimaamalla, which denotes the act of stamping. Leima as a noun can denote a stamp, an imprint, or a mark of authenticity, while leimaus refers to the stamping or marking process itself. The concept is widespread in administration, manufacturing, libraries, and postal services, where stamps or seals are used to authorize, categorize, or authenticate items.

If used outside Finnish, leimaa typically requires translation to a language-specific term for stamping or marking. In Finnish-language contexts, it remains a concrete or formal action tied to applying a mark or seal, or to the resulting imprint.