Finnish: More Familiar Than You Think

This article explores the surprising connections between Finnish, a Uralic language, and the Indo-European family, particularly Germanic. Despite their separate origins, Finnish vocabulary contains a significant number of loanwords from Proto-Germanic, and even earlier pre-Proto-Germanic sources. By examining etymological links between Finnish words and their English/German counterparts, and analyzing sound changes, the author reveals a long and intense history of language contact between Finnish and Germanic languages, dating back to the Bronze Age. This challenges common perceptions of Finnish and demonstrates the power of historical linguistics to bridge linguistic divides.