odotetuilla

Odotetuilla is a Finnish grammatical form built from the adjective odotettu, meaning expected or anticipated. It functions as the plural adessive form and is used to refer to a group of people or things that are being expected in a given context. The form is typically joined to a following plural noun in the adessive case, for example odotetuilla vierailla or odotetuilla osallistujilla, to indicate “with/at the expected guests” or “with the expected participants.”

Etymology and morphology: odotettu comes from the verb odottaa (to wait for or to expect) and the past participle suffix -ttu. The plural adessive suffix -illa/-illä attaches to the adjective, yielding odotetuilla. This construction expresses that the referenced group has been anticipated by the speaker or the situation.

Usage: Odotetuilla is common in written Finnish, especially in descriptive, journalistic, or formal contexts where the writer wants to specify a subgroup that was anticipated. It cannot stand alone and always modifies a plural noun in the adessive case. It contrasts with other forms such as odotettu (singular) or odotetuilla with different case endings for other grammatical roles.

Grammatical notes: The phrase is more likely to appear when mentioning attendance, participation, or reception contexts. It is one example of how Finnish uses participial adjectives in combination with case endings to convey nuance about anticipation or expectation.

Examples:

- Tilaisuudessa odotetuilla vierailla oli oma ohjelmansa. (At the event, the expected guests had their own program.)

- Julkistuksessa viitattiin odotetuilla osanottajilla, joiden saapuminen vaikutti aikatauluun.