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Linguistica Uralica cover
Linguistica Uralica
ISSN 1736-7506 (Electronic)
ISSN 0868-4731 (Print)

Research article
Edge, border, separation: etymological marginalia; pp. 180–191
PDF | https://doi.org/10.3176/lu.2026.2.03

Author
Kaisla Kaheinen ORCID Icon
Abstract

This paper discusses three lexemes found in Western Uralic languages, for which no Samoyed cognate has previously been suggested: 1) Fi malo ’ending, edge; beach’ ~ MdE, MdM mala- ’near’ ~ SaaL muolōs ’thawed place near the beach of a lake in spring’ (?PU *mala), 2) PSaa *loŋke-, *loŋk-o- ’to remove turf or tree bark’ > Fi luŋka ’easily detachable tree bark’ (?PU *luŋka-), and 3) PU *wäri(-) ’hillside; roll down’. While the Proto-Uralic origin of *wäri(-) has been generally accepted, the first two lexemes have previously been considered borrowings from Baltic into Uralic. In this paper, I suggest possible Samoyed cognates for all of these words, arguing for their Proto-Uralic origin. If the Samoyed cognates are accepted, the previously suggested Baltic etymologies will have to be reconsidered.

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