nukkuma

Nukkuma is a Finnish noun derived from the verb nukkua through the nominalization suffix -ma. It denotes the act or state of sleeping. In contemporary Finnish, the more common noun for this concept is nukkuminen, while nukkuma is comparatively rare and is primarily found in older, literary, or specialized contexts.

Linguistically, nukkuma belongs to the broad class of Finnish gerund-like nominals formed with -ma, which can name an action or process derived from a verb. The form may appear in dictionaries as a less frequent variant or in certain stylistic uses; in many modern texts it is largely supplanted by nukkuminen.

Usage notes: Because of its rarity, nukkuma is not a standard part of everyday language. When referring to sleep in general terms or in descriptions of sleeping as an activity, speakers typically prefer nukkuminen. Nukkuma may be encountered in historical writings, poetry, or translations that retain older Finnish style.

See also: nukkua, nukkuminen, unet.