tärkistämään

tärkistämään is a Finnish verb that translates to "to stiffen," "to make rigid," or "to firm up" in English. It describes a process where something loses its flexibility and becomes hard or unyielding. This can apply to a variety of substances and situations.

For example, tärkistämään can refer to the hardening of dough when it is overmixed or exposed to air for too long. It can also describe the stiffening of fabric, such as when it is starched to make it hold its shape. In a more figurative sense, tärkistämään can be used to describe a person's demeanor becoming stern or unyielding, or a situation becoming more serious and difficult to change.

The verb is derived from the noun "tärkkelys," meaning starch, which is a common substance that causes stiffening. The suffix "-istää" is a causative suffix, indicating that the verb means "to cause to become." Therefore, tärkistämään literally means "to cause to become starchy" or "to cause to become stiff." The infinitive form is tärkistää, and tärkistämään is the illative of the infinitive, often used in contexts implying purpose or direction towards the action of stiffening.