palvottuja

Palvottuja is a Finnish grammatical form used to describe something that has been worshipped or revered. It is the plural partitive form of the past passive participle palvottu (worshipped). In Finnish, participles can function like adjectives and must agree with the noun they modify in number and case. Therefore palvottuja appears when the head noun is plural and placed in the partitive case.

Common usage and examples

- palvottuja jumalia = worshipped gods

- palvottuja patsaita = worshipped statues

- palvottuja rituaaleja = worshipped rituals

By contrast, the singular partitive form is palvottua, as in palvottua jumalaa (a worshipped god). The construction is typical in religious, mythological, or historical texts and in descriptive prose that refers to objects or beings regarded as objects of worship.

Semantic nuance

The form conveys that the items described have been worshipped, rather than implying their continued worship in the present. It is a descriptive, non-nominative way to express reverence or reverential status within a historical or literary context.

Notes

- Palvottuja cannot stand alone as a noun; it functions as an adjective within a noun phrase.

- The form reflects Finnish grammar where participles decline like adjectives and align with the modifying noun in number and case.

See also

Finnish grammar, participles, partitive case, Finnish religious vocabulary.