ähtää

ähtää is a Finnish verb that translates to "to howl" or "to wail." It is most commonly used to describe the sound made by animals, particularly wolves and dogs, when they are expressing distress, communicating over a distance, or in a pack. The word can also be used metaphorically to describe a loud, mournful, or prolonged cry made by humans, though this usage is less frequent.

The conjugation of ähtää follows typical Finnish verb patterns. For instance, the present tense form for "I" is "äykkä," for "you" (singular) is "äykkät," and for "he/she/it" is "äykkää." In the past tense, "I howled" would be "äykkäsin." The infinitive form is ähtää.

The onomatopoeic quality of the word is evident in its sound, which mimics the drawn-out, resonant nature of a howl. This contributes to its evocative power when describing such sounds. While primarily associated with animal vocalizations, the emotional weight of the word can extend to human expressions of deep sorrow or pain.