The Roots and Origins of the Finnish Language
A history of unique language in a globalizing world
Introduction
Years ago I bought a poster where world languages are presented as trees and bushes, where the size of the tree and the branches is comparable to the amount of the speakers of the language in the world. Finnish language is presented as a small branch of a very small bush, which is located next to the big trees of the major languages. This was indeed a powerful reminder of our unique origins in this huge globalizing world. How would you call your mum? I guess something like mother, mutter, madre or 母親 (Mǔqīn) perhaps? I call her äiti.
Finnish, the official language of Finland and one of its two national languages, is known for its unique structure and distinct phonological features. As one of the few languages in Europe that does not belong to the Indo-European family, Finnish has intrigued linguists for centuries. Understanding the origins of Finnish helps shed light on its fascinating development, influences, and connection to the Uralic language family. However, despite its rich history, Finnish remains a relatively rare language globally, spoken by only about 5.4 million people, making it linguistically distinct in a world dominated by languages like English, Mandarin, and Spanish.
