loikkaavat

Loikkaavat is a Finnish word form that can function both as a finite verb form and as a present active participle. It is derived from the verb loikkia, meaning “to leap” or “to jump.” As a finite form, loikkaavat is the third-person plural present indicative: they leap. As a present active participle in plural, loikkaavat means “leaping” and can modify a noun, for example loikkaavat linnut = “the leaping birds.”

Etymology and grammar: The root loikk- comes from loikka (a leap). The third-person plural present indicative is formed with the suffix -vat/-vät, yielding loikkaavat. The present active participle in singular is loikkaava, and in plural loikkaavat also functions as an attributive participle before a plural noun. In practice, loikkaavat is most commonly seen as the finite form “they leap,” but it also appears in participial phrases describing ongoing action.

Usage: In ordinary sentences, loikkaavat denotes multiple subjects performing the action of leaping, e.g., Koirat loikkaavat aidan yli. As a participle, it forms phrases such as loikkaavat linnut, meaning “the birds that are leaping.” Finnish allows such participial adjectives to appear before nouns to create concise descriptive clauses, and loikkaavat can occur in headlines or descriptive passages where brevity is valued.

See also: Finnish grammar, verb conjugation, present participles.