Origin of the name Kainuu

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Origin of the name Kainuu has been a disputed subject among Finnish historians and linguistics. The reason for the controversy is the speculated connection between areas known as Kainuu and Kvenland, both historical lands in Fennoscandia.

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[edit] Theory one: Swampy land

As a part of his theory about the origin of the name "kven", Professor of History in Oulu University Jouko Vahtola suggested that also the name "kainuu" would basically have the same origin. To prove his point, Vahtola constructed a hypothetical proto-Germanic word "*χwainō" that would have meant "swampy land".[1] [2] Linguistic support for this part of his theory has been reserved, as the expected etymology of *χwainō would not have been "kainuu" like Vahtola had thought. There is also no evidence that the word "kainuu" had ever been used in the meaning of "swampy land" in any Finnish dialects.[3]

[edit] Theory two: Hole

Professor of Germanic Philology in Helsinki University Jorma Koivulehto has proposed that "kainuu" is originally the same as the Germanic word for a hole or mouth, "*gain-".[4] Linguistically this etymology is seen more acceptable.[5] Area originally known as Kainuu seems to have been the central part of Ostrobothnia where Karelians could access the Gulf of Bothnia in the Middle Ages, giving also conceptual support for the theory.

Noteworthy in this context is also the word "kainu", which is only known in lower Satakunta in Finland. It had a completely different meaning being the middle stake in a work sled, also clearly deriving from *gain-.

Koivulehto's theory drops the speculated connection between Kainuu and Kvenland seeing the two words without a common linguistic history.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Vahtola, J. (1994), Kvenerne – vem var de ursprungligen? In: Torekoven Strøm (eed.), Report from the seminar ”Kvenene – en glemt minoritet?” 14.11.94 at the University of Tromsø/Tromsø Museum.
  2. ^ Vahtola, J. (2001), Folk och folkgrupper inom det nordliga rummet över tid. In: Tedebrand, L.-G. & Edlund, L.-E. (ed.), Tre kulturer i möte. Kulturens frontlinjer. Papers from the research program Kulturgräns norr, 27. Published by Johan Nordlander-sällskapet, 23. Umeå.
  3. ^ Häkkinen, Kaisa. Suomalaisten esihistoria kielitieteen valossa. (ISBN 951-717-855-7) Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura 1996. See page 178.
  4. ^ Koivulehto, Jorma. Ala-Satakunnan Kainu ja pohjoisen Kainuu. - Kielen ja kulttuurin Satakunta. 1995.
  5. ^ Häkkinen, Kaisa. Suomalaisten esihistoria kielitieteen valossa. (ISBN 951-717-855-7) Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura 1996. See page 178.
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