Origin of the name Kainuu
Encyclopedia
Origin of the name Kainuu has been a disputed subject among Finnish historians and linguistics. Kainuu
is a region of Finland. The reason for the controversy is the speculated connection between areas known as Kainuu
and Kvenland, both historical lands in Fennoscandia
.
, 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". 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.
in Helsinki University Jorma Koivulehto has proposed that "kainuu" is originally the same as the Germanic word for a hole or mouth, "*gain-". In the meaning "water-route" or "water-body" ,*Kainu- was originally a toponymic prefix in SW Finland, and during the Iron Age it was gradually established as the name of the land surrounding the northern coasts Bothnian Gulf. Linguistically this etymology is seen as more acceptable. The 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-.
Like the theory one, Koivulehto believes the words "kainu" and Kven to be interconnected. After the Germanic etymology of the *Kainu- names was forgotten, the name was adopted in the Scandinavian dialects in a new form.
. In North Samic, Gáidnu is a rope made of roots for boats or fishing nets. Gáidnulaŝ refers to a clumsy person and Geaidnu stands for a road or a way. In the early saami dictionaries Kainolats had the meaning Norwegian or Swedish man while Kainalats had the meaning Norwegian or Swedish women, it could also have the meaning peasant. Helsing-by or Torneå was referred to as Cainho.
Kainuu
Kainuu is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Northern Ostrobothnia, North Karelia and Northern Savonia. In the east it also borders Russia. Kainuu is known in the ancient Norse sagas as Kvenland....
is a region of Finland. The reason for the controversy is the speculated connection between areas known as Kainuu
Kainuu
Kainuu is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Northern Ostrobothnia, North Karelia and Northern Savonia. In the east it also borders Russia. Kainuu is known in the ancient Norse sagas as Kvenland....
and Kvenland, both historical lands in Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and Finland...
.
Theory one: Swampy land
As a part of his theory about the origin of the name "kven"Origin of the name Kven
The origin of the name "Kven" is unclear. The name appears for the first time in a 9th century Old English version, written by King Alfred of Wessex, of a work by the Roman author Orosius, in the plural form "Cwenas"...
, 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". Linguistic
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
support for this part of his theory has been reserved, as the expected etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
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.
Theory two: Hole
Professor of Germanic PhilologyPhilology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
in Helsinki University Jorma Koivulehto has proposed that "kainuu" is originally the same as the Germanic word for a hole or mouth, "*gain-". In the meaning "water-route" or "water-body" ,*Kainu- was originally a toponymic prefix in SW Finland, and during the Iron Age it was gradually established as the name of the land surrounding the northern coasts Bothnian Gulf. Linguistically this etymology is seen as more acceptable. The area originally known as Kainuu
Kainuu
Kainuu is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Northern Ostrobothnia, North Karelia and Northern Savonia. In the east it also borders Russia. Kainuu is known in the ancient Norse sagas as Kvenland....
seems to have been the central part of Ostrobothnia
Ostrobothnia (historical province)
Ostrobothnia, and , is a historical province of Finland to the west and north in Finland. It borders on Karelia, Savonia, Tavastia and Satakunda in the south, and on Västerbotten in Sweden, and Laponia in the north...
where Karelians
Karelians
The Karelians are a Baltic-Finnic ethnic group living mostly in the Republic of Karelia and in other north-western parts of the Russian Federation. The historic homeland of Karelians includes also parts of present-day Eastern Finland and the formerly Finnish territory of Ladoga Karelia...
could access the Gulf of Bothnia
Gulf of Bothnia
The Gulf of Bothnia is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It is situated between Finland's west coast and Sweden's east coast. In the south of the gulf lie the Åland Islands, between the Sea of Åland and the Archipelago Sea.-Name:...
in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, giving also conceptual support for the theory.
Noteworthy in this context is also the word "kainu", which is only known in lower Satakunta
Satakunta (region)
Satakunta is a region of Finland, part of the former Western Finland Province. It borders the regions of Finland Proper, Pirkanmaa, Southern Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia. The main city of the region is Pori. The name of the region literally means Hundred...
in Finland. It had a completely different meaning being the middle stake in a work sled, also clearly deriving from *gain-.
Like the theory one, Koivulehto believes the words "kainu" and Kven to be interconnected. After the Germanic etymology of the *Kainu- names was forgotten, the name was adopted in the Scandinavian dialects in a new form.
Theory three: Sami background
Similar sounding words to "kainuu" also exist in the Sami languagesSami languages
Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and extreme northwestern Russia, in Northern Europe. Sami is frequently and erroneously believed to be a single language. Several names are used for the Sami...
. In North Samic, Gáidnu is a rope made of roots for boats or fishing nets. Gáidnulaŝ refers to a clumsy person and Geaidnu stands for a road or a way. In the early saami dictionaries Kainolats had the meaning Norwegian or Swedish man while Kainalats had the meaning Norwegian or Swedish women, it could also have the meaning peasant. Helsing-by or Torneå was referred to as Cainho.