kaatua

kaataa (“to overturn”) +‎ -ua (reflexive suffix). Possibly already as Proto-Finnic *kaatudak (compare Ingrian kaatua, Karelian kuatuo).

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑːtuɑˣ/,
• Rhymes: -ɑːtuɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): kaa‧tua

kaatua (intransitive)

1. to fall from an upright position; to fall down, to fall over

   Kaaduin kadulla ja loukkasin polveni.

   I fell in the street and hurt my knee.

   Puu kaatui syysmyrskyssä.

   The tree fell in an autumn storm.

2. to fall (die, especially in battle)

   Tämä on kaikkien ensimmäisessä maailmansodassa kaatuneiden muistomerkki.

   This is a monument to all those who fell in the First World War.

3. (of a liquid) to spill
4. (of a government) to fall
5. (figuratively) to fail, to come to nought, to be frustrated (of an attempt, a plan, or similar)

   Suunnitelma kaatui rahan puutteeseen.

   The plan failed owing to a lack of funds.

6. (computing) to crash
7. (nautical) to capsize, keel over

• “kaatua”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

From Proto-Finnic *kaatudak, equivalent to kaataa (“to knock over”) +‎ -ua. Cognates include Finnish kaatua and Karelian kuatuo.

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑːtuɑ/,
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑːtuɑ/,
• Rhymes: -ɑːtoː, -ɑːtuɑ
• Hyphenation: kaa‧tu‧a

kaatua

1. (intransitive) to fall over
   • 1936, N. A. Iljin and V. I. Junus, Bukvari iƶoroin șkouluja vart, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 60:

     Kaatuu kärkkilatva kuusi.

     The coniferous spruce falls over.

This verb is slightly irregular: In order to avoid the vowel clusters -aau- or -aaui-, the consonant -vv- is inserted.