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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.
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.
