palkatut

Palkatut is a Finnish term that can refer to two different groups, depending on context. It stems from the participles palkattu, meaning employed or hired, and palkittu, meaning rewarded or honored. The plural form palkatut can function as a noun phrase for the people who share a status described by either participle, so its meaning is determined by the surrounding words.

In employment contexts, palkatut refers to staff or workers who have been hired and are on the payroll. For example, a company might report on “palkatut työntekijät” to describe those currently employed under a contract. In contexts of recognition and awards, palkitut can denote recipients who have received a prize, honor, or medal. For instance, “palkitut saivat kunnianosoituksen” would indicate that the awardees were honored.

Because the form palkatut is ambiguous between these senses, clarity is often achieved by pairing it with a specifying noun or by using a distinct form such as palkittu (rewarded) or palkattu (employed) in singular adaptations. When used alone, the meaning is deduced from context, and in formal writing it is common to make the sense explicit with an accompanying noun phrase (for example, palkatut työntekijät or palkitut palkinnon saajat).

See also: palkka, palkinto, palkkaus, työntekijä, työsuhde.