sulautuivat

Sulautuivat is the third-person plural past tense form of the Finnish intransitive verb sulautua. It describes a process in which separate entities merge, blend, or become incorporated into a larger, unified whole. The sense can be literal—such as physical fusion or melting into a substance—and metaphorical, including cultural, organizational, or administrative integration.

Usage and meaning: Sulautuivat conveys that distinct parts lost their individual boundaries and transformed into something new or more cohesive. It is commonly used in discussions of municipal mergers, corporate consolidations, or cultural assimilation, but can also describe more abstract integrations, such as ideas or practices becoming part of a broader system.

Grammatical notes: Sulautua is intransitive, so sulautuivat takes a nominative subject without a direct object. The form is used for past tense narration about multiple subjects. Related nouns include sulautuminen (the act of fusion or assimilation) and sulautuma (a fusion or alloy in a physical sense).

Examples:

- Kaupungit sulautuivat yhdeksi suureksi kaupungiksi.

- Kulttuurit sulautuivat toisiinsa ja loivat uuden hybridi-identiteetin.

- Yritykset sulautuivat toisiinsa ja muodostivat suuren konsernin.

Etymology: The verb derives from sula, meaning melt, with the suffix -tua to form an intransitive verb. The sense of blending or merging expands from physical melting to social and organizational integration.