Open AccessFatalistic traits in Finnish proverbs
Author(s) -
Elza Miné
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
scripta instituti donneriani aboensis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2343-4937
pISSN - 0582-3226
DOI - 10.30674/scripta.67009
Subject(s) - fatalism , meaning (existential) , verb , linguistics , sociology , history , philosophy , epistemology
In this paper the author examines proverbs in Finnish language. For example, the verb luoda, which in modern Finnish has the basic meaning 'to create' with a strong Christian colouring, was obviously used earlier to express fatalistic ideas. Its primary meaning appears, for instance, in a laconic pro-verb from Perniö (in south-western Finland): Tam lua, literally "The oak creates", which is given the following explanation: It is the weather in January [tammikuu, month of oak] that in some way predetermines what the spring and the summer will be like.