suojelivat

Suojelivat is a Finnish verb form meaning “they protected.” It is the third-person plural imperfect tense of the verb suojella, which means to protect or guard. The form is used in past narrative or reporting when multiple subjects performed protective actions toward someone or something. For example: “He suojelivat lasta myrskyn aikana” translates to “They protected the child during the storm.” The infinitive is suojella; the third-person singular past is suojeli, and the third-person plural past is suojelivat.

The form suojelivat is built from the verb stem suojel- with the plural imperfect ending -ivat. The verb suojella itself is generally traced to the noun suoja, meaning protection or shield, with a typical verb-forming suffix.

In usage, suojelivat appears in historical accounts, journalism, and literature to describe actions where multiple actors protected people, property, or even ideals. It can convey coordinated or collective protective efforts, emphasizing the involvement of several subjects in past events. As with other Finnish past-tense forms, the exact ending reflects subject number and person, while the meaning remains rooted in protection or defense.