ulottuivat

Ulottuivat is a Finnish verb form that functionally serves as the third-person plural imperfect tense of the verb ulottua, meaning to stretch, extend, or reach. The form is used when describing multiple subjects performing the action in the past, either in a physical sense or metaphorically, such as extending influence or range.

In usage, ulottuivat appears in narrative and descriptive passages to indicate that several actors reached or extended something during the past moment. Examples include: Kädet ulottuivat pöydän yli. (The hands reached over the table.) Rajat ulottuivat aina kaupungin laidalle saakka. (The borders stretched to the edge of the city.) The sense can be literal or figurative, depending on context.

Related forms and notes:

- Infinitive: ulottua, used to describe the act in general or in non-past contexts.

- Past participle: ulottunut, used in perfect tenses (esimerkiksi Olemme ulottuneet uudelle alueelle = We have reached a new area).

- The root ulott- is connected with other derived terms such as ulottuvuus (dimension, reach) and ulottuva (reachable, extendable).

Etymology and semantics:

The root ulott- conveys the idea of reaching or extending beyond a boundary, whether physical distance, capability, or scope. In Finnish, ulottuminen can describe spatial reach, measurement, or figurative breadth, such as influence, applicability, or time.

See also:

- ulottua (to reach, to extend)

- ulottuvuus (dimension, reach)

- ulottuva (extending, reachable)