Early Proto-Finnic (1800–500 BC) vs Modern Finnish comparison

In this post, I want to compare the Early Proto-Finnic sentences used in the movie "Unna ja Nuuk" to Modern Finnish.

Early Proto-Finnic, assumed to have been spoken around 1800–500 BC, is the common ancestor of the Baltic Finnic and Sámi languages. As a theory, it is a bit controversial: there are signs that it could also be a proto language of the Mordvinic languages. As such, it has also been called "West Uralic", and is more seen as connected to the earlier Proto-Finno-Ugric.

Early Proto-Finnic (EPF)
Modern Finnish
English translation

1. Katšek! Tumtejan koppa!
Katso! Tietäjän koppa!
Look! A tietäjä's bag!

Tietäjä is a sort of magic user, and the concept is believed to have evolved from shamanism. "Tietää" means "to know", so tietäjä is literally a "know-er". The EPF uses "tumte-". In Finnish, there is the word "tuntea", which means "to feel", but also "to know" when it comes to knowing people.

2. Nuuk ńyketä tumteja.
Nuuk on nyt tietäjä.
Nuuk is now a tietäjä.

Ńyketä seems to be shortened to nyt. However, it sounds similar to Finnish words such as "nykyään" (nowadays). EPF is missing the be verb.

3. Tulkaka! Vete laskepa!
Tulkaa! Vesi laskeepi!
Come! The water is receeding!

The -pi ending in the Finnish is dialectical. Standard Finnish does not use it (so only "laskee"). However, my dialect does use it so I'm adding it here. This applies to every other verb using -pi for the rest of this post as well.

4. Vete vajapa. Kuiva om.
Vesi vajoaapi. Kuiva on.
The water is sinking. It's dry.

"Vete-" exists in Finnish in declined forms of "vesi", such as "veteen" (into the water). The verb was always at the end of the sentence in EPF. In Finnish, it often is not, but it can be: Finnish has a very liberal word order.

5. Mi sattapa?
Mitä sattuupi?
What is happening?

So in this situation, in Finnish, you'd probably ask "mitä tapahtuu(pi)?" However, sattua is a completely valid word. Just not usually used of an active situation. "Sattumusten sarja"="A series of happenings", etc.

6. Änektäk! Täkälnä toravaketa leenepä!
Ääneti! Täällä lieneepi vihollisia!
Quiet! There may be enemies here!

"Äänettä" (without a sound) exists in Finnish, though as an order, you'd probably more likely say ääneti. Täkälnä is interesting: it reminds me of the Finnish word "täkäläinen" (a local to this area). Toravaketa is also interesting: "tora" could be something like "a quarrel" in Finnish.

7. Täkälnä epä volek.
Täällä ei ole.
It's not here.

You could say "eipä" in Finnish. However, this is probably connected to something else. "Epä-" in Finnish works as a negator, such as "epäkuollut" (undead).

8. Vanšaemä.
Isoäiti.
Grandmother.

EPF's word would literally be "vanhaemä", meaning "old mother". But this is not a word in Finnish. "Isoäiti" is literally "big mother", äiti being a later Gothic loan word.

9. Mistä tinä tulet? Misnä Unnan kotai?
Mistä sinä tulet? Missä Unnan koti?
Where do you come from? Where is Unna's home?

A t->s change happened in the you word, but only in singular. Plural you is still "te" in modern Finnish. "Kota" in modern Finnish refers to a teepee-like structure, and yes the word is connected to "koti" (home) so you can imagine what kinds of dwellings people used to live in.

That's it for now. Maybe I'll make part two if I feel inspired to.

21.1.2023

God I don't even wanna talk about this.

The last time I was working with this team was a little over a year ago, and I always had fun. But something happened to them last year, when I was in a different project.... They're just so lowkey pissed off all the time? Like you can just feel that, under the surface, non-verbal frustration. And I'm not even being invited on the gigs, unlike before. It's so weird... Like, what happened while I was doing other tasks? I get mixed messages and most of the time it isn't even targeted at me or anything, they just seem so pissed off generally all the time? It does not give me good vibes... We used to have so much fun working together, what happened?

So I might have kind of started crying about this in my office on Friday and yeah. I was thoroughly exhausted when I got home. I quickly ate dinner and went to nap, it was around 6 pm or so. I woke up at 8 pm because my dad called, then something happened, I don't know when I fell asleep again, simply that when I opened my eyes, it was 2:30 am, haha. So yeah, I guess I was tired. Still, I've been feeling relatively good recently, so it was unfortunate I was so tired late this week. Especially since I'm not quite sure what is real and what is just my paranoia.

Well, the weekend has been spent with watching the first episodes of Hazbin Hotel, and the last episodes of TGCF. I played a little bit of civ6 with my gf, a little bit of Genshin... I've been working on some icons. And today, I went to vote in the presidential elections. It's still the first round, the two who get the most votes on the first round go on the second round. We'll know the results of the first round next Sunday.

Welp, all I really hope for is a better next week. Now, I'm getting tired again so I think I'll be going to bed soon.