takapakkia

Finnish

Etymology

taka- (“back-”) +‎ pakki (“reverse”) +‎ -a (“partitive case ending”); pleonastic term

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑkɑˌpɑkːiɑ/, [ˈt̪ɑ̝kɑ̝ˌpɑ̝kːiɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑkːiɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ta‧ka‧pak‧ki‧a

Adverb

takapakkia (colloquial)

1. (only in certain expressions) backwards

   mennä takapakkia ― to backpedal, reverse

   ottaa takapakkia ― to backpedal, reverse

   Hän meni syytöksissään liian pitkälle ja joutui ottamaan takapakkia.

   He went too far with his accusations and had to backpedal.

Usage notes

Synonyms for ottaa takapakkia include peruuttaa (“to reverse”), ottaa takaisin (“to take back”) (in figurative usage).