viittailivat

Viittailivat is a Finnish verb form that is used to describe the act of gesturing or signaling by signs. In standard Finnish, the more common past-tense form for signaling in this sense is viittasivat, while viittailivat appears mainly in dialectal or literary contexts. The form conveys nonverbal communication performed by a group.

Etymology and meaning: viittailivat is built from a root related to signaling or indicating, with an infix pattern that signals an ongoing action and the -ivat suffix marking the imperfect plural. The sense is distinct from referring to something in speech (to viitta or viittaus) and from sign-language terminology (viittomakieli). In usage, viittailivat emphasizes gesture-based signaling rather than verbal reference.

Usage and nuance: The construction is typically found in narrative or descriptive prose to depict characters communicating through gestures. It can denote literal gestures—such as pointing, waving, or signaling with hands—or more figurative signaling, such as indicating alignment, agreement, or preference without speaking.

Examples:

- He viittailivat karttaan osoittaakseen reitin. (They gestured toward the map to show the route.)

- Kokouksen aikana osanottajat viittailivat toistensa suuntaan. (During the meeting, participants signaled toward one another.)

Related terms: See also viitta (root related to signaling in compounds), viittaus (reference), and viittomakieli (sign language). Viittailivat is a niche form and is more typical in informal speech or stylistic writing, whereas viittasivat remains the standard past-tense form for referential or signaling contexts.