Finnic

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to the group of Uralic languages spoken primarily in Finland and parts of Northwestern Russia ; pertaining to the culture, people, or heritage connected to these language communities ; associated with the ethnic groups that use these languages in the Baltic region
2. Connected with the family of languages known as Finnic, which includes Finnish and Estonian ; referring to ethnolinguistic identities rooted in Northern Europe ; describing cultural elements, traditions, or peoples linked to these language speakers
3. Concerning the subset of Uralic tongues dispersed in the areas surrounding the Gulf of Finland ; involving the social or historical aspects of populations using these languages ; indicative of linguistic, cultural, or regional affiliations tied to this language cluster

Etymology: Finnic is simply "Finn" with the adjective-forming suffix "-ic" attached, and the suffix itself has travelled a long way to reach English. It comes from Latin "-icus", which the Romans used to turn a name or noun into a related adjective, and it reached English through Old French "-ique" and Middle English "-ik". The same ending sits behind words like "Germanic" and "Celtic", so "Finnic" follows a familiar pattern. The base word, "Finn", is the English name for a person from Finland, and it is what gives the adjective its sense of "relating to Finland or the Finns". Because English adds "-ic" to many people and place names, "Finnic" can be used either for the Finns themselves or for the wider family of languages spoken around the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic, such as Estonian.

Synonyms: Finnish, Finno-Ugric