pitkittymä
Pitkittymä is a Finnish noun that denotes the state or instance of prolongation or extension of time for a process, event, or condition. It is formed from the adjective pitkä (long) with the verb pitkittyä (to lengthen) and the nominal suffix -mä. The related noun pitkittyminen expresses the ongoing process of lengthening, while pitkäaikainen and other time-related terms describe the duration rather than a single prolonged episode. The term can function as the subject or object in sentences, for example: "käsittelyssä on pitkittymä" or "pitkittymän syyt." The usage is typical in formal or administrative language, including legal, bureaucratic, medical, and policy discourse.
Etymology: The word derives from Finnish roots pitkä and pitkittyä, with the -mä nominalizer.
Usage and nuance: pitkittymä conveys the appearance of a delay or extension that is noteworthy or undesirable,
Examples and domains: In legal contexts, one speaks of "juttujen pitkittymä" to describe backlog in court proceedings.