sairastuttamaan

Sairastuttamaan is a Finnish verb meaning to cause someone to become ill. It denotes the act of inducing illness in another person, whether through pathogens, toxins, medical interventions, or other factors. The term is used in literal health contexts as well as, less commonly, in metaphorical or ethical discussions about causing harm.

Grammatically, sairastuttamaan is the infinitive form of a causative verb built from sairastuttaa, which means to cause illness. The action is transitive and typically involves a direct object referring to the person affected by the illness. The noun sairastuttaminen refers to the act itself, while phrases using the verb can describe both real-life situations (for example, the spread of a virus) and hypothetical or cautionary scenarios. In everyday language, it is more common to encounter related terms such as sairastua (to fall ill) and tartuttaa (to spread infection), with sairastuttaminen appearing mainly in formal or medical discussions.

Usage and nuances: the word carries a strong ethical and medical connotation because it implies causing harm to another person. It is not a casual term and is typically found in clinical, epidemiological, or public health contexts, as well as in discussions about research ethics or legal responsibility.

Examples:

- A virus can sairastuttaa suuria ihmisjoukkoja. (A virus can cause many people to become ill.)

- Tutkimuksessa vältettiin kaikkia keinoja, jotka sairastuttaisivat osallistujia. (The study avoided any methods that would cause illness to participants.)