Väki also means (or at least used to) ‘power’ or ‘strong’ (väkivahva, väkijuoma…) and that’s also where the etymology for ‘väkivalta’ comes from. So it’s got nothing to do with people.
Comment on Justice should be equal
random_character_a@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
An interesting factoid. In Finnish language “väkivalta” means violence. It is a combination word: väki = people, crowd, folk valta = power, reign
IsoKiero@sopuli.xyz 12 hours ago
random_character_a@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
This is true.
barsoap@lemm.ee 10 hours ago
Valta also sounds like a Germanic loan just a second… yep. Same root as German “Gewalt”, violence, “walten”, to rule, preside, also English wield.
What’s it with Finnish. One third borrowed from Estonian, another third from the Swedes, the rest from the Sami.
random_character_a@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
Yes. We are a mushroom people that suddenly popped in to existence and had to borrow some stuff.
dogsoahC@lemm.ee 12 hours ago
So… in Finland “democracy” and “violence” are the same thing? xD