Appendix:Historical Finnish spelling
The written Finnish language is usually divided into multiple periods: Old Literary Finnish (vanha kirjasuomi, from the earliest writing in the 1540s until 1810 or 1820), Early Modern Finnish (varhaisnykysuomi, until the 1870s-1880s) and Modern Finnish (since then). The language norms, including spelling, have changed at times dramatically during these time periods.
This page describes examples of differences between Finnish spelling in these time periods and modern Finnish spelling. In general, any point that applies to later time periods also applies to earlier ones.
Old Literary Finnish[edit]
- The spelling was not all as consistent as during the later periods. In particular, any spellings from before the 1642 Bible translation (Biblia: Se on: Coco Pyhä Ramattu Suomexi) were often wildly inconsistent.
- The vowels ⟨ä⟩ and ⟨e⟩ were not spelled consistently. It was quite common to spell an ⟨ä⟩ with an ⟨e⟩ (or at times even ⟨ae⟩), and to a lesser extent also vice versa. In later syllables ⟨ä⟩ could also simply become ⟨a⟩.
- The vowel ⟨i⟩ could be spelled ⟨j⟩ and was generally spelled ⟨y⟩ in diphthongs.
- The vowel ⟨o⟩ could be spelled ⟨å⟩ or in some cases ⟨u⟩.
- nåuse → nousee iouckuhon → joukko(h)on
- The vowel ⟨y⟩ could be spelled ⟨i⟩, ⟨ij⟩, (the following three especially in later syllables) ⟨u⟩, ⟨w⟩ or ⟨ö⟩.
- ijxi → yksi hywuwdens → hyvyytensä
- The vowel ⟨ö⟩ could be spelled ⟨o⟩ in later syllables or ⟨e⟩ in diphthongs. On the other hand, the now-diphthong ⟨yö⟩ was often spelled ⟨öö⟩ (or ⟨öe⟩).
- The combination ⟨hd⟩ was not consistently separated from the above.
- Vowel length was not marked consistently, if at all (for instance, it was rarely marked in later syllables). Long ⟨i⟩ was spelled ⟨ij⟩. Consonant length was sometimes marked, other times not.
- söket → syökäät nijn → niin taiualista → taivaallista
- The consonant ⟨v⟩ was generally spelled ⟨u⟩ or even ⟨w⟩ or ⟨fw⟩. The vowel ⟨u⟩ could be spelled ⟨v⟩ or ⟨w⟩.
- The plosives ⟨k⟩, ⟨p⟩, ⟨t⟩ was spelled as voiced (⟨g⟩, ⟨b⟩, ⟨d⟩ respectively) after a nasal or liquid.
- The consonant ⟨k⟩ (if not affected by the previous point) was often spelled ⟨c⟩ in certain environments. Specifically, ⟨c⟩ was used before back vowels and ⟨k⟩ before front vowels. Before 1642, it could even be spelled ⟨q⟩ prior to a -u-. A geminated ⟨k⟩, if expressed, was ⟨ck⟩.
- The consonant ⟨j⟩ was often spelled ⟨i⟩, but its inconsistent spelling meant it could also appear as e.g. ⟨y⟩.
- The consonant ⟨s⟩ could be spelled ⟨sz⟩, or (especially after a nasal or liquid) ⟨ss⟩.
- anssion → ansion
- The consonant ⟨t⟩ was sometimes ⟨d⟩, ⟨dh⟩ or ⟨dt⟩ at the end of words, or ⟨th⟩ in the middle of words.
- töödh → työt
- ⟨ks⟩ was almost invariably spelled ⟨x⟩.
- muistoxi → muistoksi
- The main literary norm was Southwestern Finnish.
- The inessive ending (modern standard -ssa, -ssä) was often simply -s.
- Vowels followed by a (morphological) -n in the same syllable might become nasalized, which would often be written with a tilde.
- ⟨ts⟩ (< Proto-Finnic *-cc-), which in Southwestern Finnish was still a dental fricative /θ/, was generally spelled ⟨tz⟩.
- itze /iθːe/ → itse
- ⟨d⟩ (/ð/ in Southwestern Finnish) could be spelled variously as ⟨d⟩, ⟨dh⟩ or rarely even according to other dialectal forms. ⟨d⟩ eventually became the early standard in the 1642 Bible translation.
- modholla /mo̞ːðolːɑ/ → muodolla teudes /tæy̯ðes/ → täydes(sä)
- The weak grade of ⟨k⟩ (/ɣ/ in Southwestern Finnish) could appear as ⟨g⟩, ⟨gh⟩, or sometimes ⟨ghi⟩ when followed by a front vowel or ⟨ghw⟩ when followed by a labial vowel.
- vlgos /ulɣos/ → ulos lughun /luɣun/ → luvun nelghien /nælɣæn/ → nälän aighwonut /ɑi̯ɣonut/ → aikonut welghisteni /ʋelɣistæni/ → veljistäni
- The consonant ⟨h⟩, when /x/, could be spelled ⟨ch⟩ or even ⟨c⟩.
- tapachtui /tɑpɑxtui̯/ → tapahtui
- Capitalization in Old Literary Finnish was used more liberally than today, probably after German influence.
After the 1642 Bible translation, many inconsistencies were addressed, yet others remained. ⟨k⟩ was still generally spelled ⟨c⟩ or ⟨k⟩ depending on the following vowel, the spelling of the -ts- in e.g. metsä was inconsistent between ⟨tz⟩ and ⟨dz⟩, although the former began to gain ground in the early 18th century. Vowel length was still not often marked in later syllables, although illative forms specifically were often spelled with long vowels in the ending.
By the 1776 Bible translation, ⟨c⟩ had fallen out of use. By the end of the period, ⟨x⟩ also fell out of use and was replaced by modern ⟨ks⟩, ⟨tz⟩ was replaced by modern ⟨ts⟩ and plosives began to be written as unvoiced after liquids and nasals. As the norm shifted increasingly to Tavastian and later to a more mixed-dialect form, and as the sound was lost from the southweatern dialects as well, ⟨g⟩/⟨gh⟩ (/ɣ/) disappeared.
Sample[edit]
From the front page of the first Finnish primer (and the first known Finnish-language book ever), Abckiria (1543) by Mikael Agricola, comes this famous poem (two options are given for the last three columns, see notes):
| Original spelling | Modernized | Standardized | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
Oppe nyt wanha, ia noori / joilla ombi Sydhen toori / Jumalan keſkyt / ia mielen iotca taidhat Somen kielen. Laki / ſe Sielun hirmutta / mutt Criſtus ſen tas lodhutta. Lue ſijs hyue Lapſi teſte / Alcu oppi ilman eſte. Nijte muiſta Elemes aina / nin Jeſus ſinun Armons laina |
Oppee nyt vanha ja nuori, joilla ompi sydän tuori, Jumalan käskyt ja mielen. jotka taidat suomen kielen. Laki sen sielun hirmuttaa, mut Kristus sen taas lohduttaa. Lue siis hyvä lapsi tästä, alkuoppi ilman este(t), Niitä muista elämäs aina, niin Jeesus sinun armons lainaa. |
Oppii nyt, vanha ja nuori, joilla onpi sydän tuore, Jumalan käskyt ja mielen, jotka taitavat suomen kielen. Laki sen sielun hirmuttaa, mutta Kristus sen taas lohduttaa. Lue siis hyvä lapsi tästä, alkuoppi ilman estettä, Niitä muista elämässä aina, niin Jeesus sinulle armonsa lainaa. |
Now learns, (both) old and young, |
Oppe nyt wanha, ia noori / joilla ombi Sydhen toori / Jumalan keſkyt / ia mielen iotca taidhat Somen kielen. Laki / ſe Sielun hirmutta / mutt Criſtus ſen tas lodhutta. Lue ſijs hyue Lapſi teſte / Alcu oppi ilman eſte. Nijte muiſta Elemes aina / nin Jeſus ſinun Armons laina |
Ope nyt vanha ja nuori, joilla ompi sydän tuori, Jumalan käskyt ja mielen. jotka taidat suomen kielen. Laki sen sielun hirmuttaa, mut Kristus sen taas lohduttaa. Lue siis hyvä lapsi tästä, alkuoppi ilman este(t), Niitä muista elämäs aina, niin Jeesus sinun armons lainaa. |
Opi nyt, vanha ja nuori, joilla onpi sydän tuore, Jumalan käskyt ja mieli, jotka taidatte suomen kielen. Laki sen sielun hirmuttaa, mutta Kristus sen taas lohduttaa. Lue siis hyvä lapsi tästä, alkuoppi ilman estettä, Niitä muista elämässä aina, niin Jeesus sinulle armonsa lainaa. |
Learn now, (both) old and young, |
Notes for the above:
- There is debate on whether the oppe in the first line should be interpreted as a third-person singular verb form oppee or an imperative form ope. Both options are listed. The third-person singular form is supported by the fact that short consonants were only rarely spelled as long, and the grammar in line 3 (genitive-accusative, as opposed to nominative-accusative, which would be expected from an imperative form). VVKS (Virtuaalinen vanha kirjasuomi) and Häkkinen (2007) both support an imperative, however. This requires explaining the genitive-accusative as e.g. a way to force the rhyme (see below), as a possible feature (some attestations of the genitive-accusative with imperative forms may be found), or as a grammatical error.
- In either case, oppea is an obsolete dialectal form found in the southwestern dialects. In all modern Finnish dialects and Standard Finnish, the final vowel in the verb is different (oppia).
- The spelling of tuore as toori in line 3, with i as the final vowel, is not readily explainable. It is not etymological, nor known from dialects. This appears to be only one of a few times Agricola spelled the word this way (all others have the expected -e as the final vowel), which could suggest, along with some other notes below, that this was simply done by Agricola in order to force a rhyme.
- Line 4 is in a slightly awkward spot to force a rhyme; it is referring to the "old and young" in line 1, i.e. that anyone who knows Finnish can learn "the commandments and the mind of God". The dialectal form for the third-person plural, identical to the second-person singular, is seen here. On the contrary, if the line 1 is in the imperative mood, it may instead be a second-person form after all, although it would have to be in the plural number (taidatte) to be grammatical. Apocope may be involved.
- if lines 1-4 were expressed in a more natural order, it could look something like this: "Nyt oppii vanha ja nuori, joilla onpi sydän tuore (ja) jotka taitavat suomen kielen, Jumalan käskyt ja mielen."
- Alternatively, the first word in line 4 could instead be jotta, which would make it "so you know/learn the Finnish language", as put forward by Häkkinen (2007).
- The este in line 8 is ungrammatical, but may be, again, Agricola forcing a rhyme. A partitive form is expected, and the gap is bridged in the 'normalized' spelling by implying a dropped final -t.
- Line 10 displays a 'dative' construction using the genitive (sinun); this feature is found in old literary texts and is probably foreign influence.
The Ten Commandments from Abckiria (1543):
| Original spelling | Modernized | Standardized | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
Enſimeinen keſky. Ele cumardha weraita Jumaloita. Toinen Ele turhan mainitze ſinun Jumalas Nime. Colmas Pyhite Lepopeiue Nelies Cunnioita ſinun iſes / ia ſinun eites / ettes cauuanelaͤiſit. Wides Ele tapa. Cudes Ele hooritee. Seitzemes Ele warghaſta. Cadhexes Ele ole waͤre todhiſtaija / ſinun lehemeiſes waſtan. Yhdexes Ele pydhe ſinun lehemeiſes honetta. Kymenes. Sinun lehemeiſes Emende / Paluelia / Pica / caria / iucta / ia mite sinun lehemeiſelles onopi / ele himoitze. |
Ensimäinen käsky. Älä kumarda vieraita jumaloita. Toinen Älä turhaan mainitse sinun Jumalas nimee. Kolmas Pyhitä lepopäivä Neljäs Kunnioita sinun isääs, ja sinun äites, ettäs kauan eläisit. Viides Älä tapa. Kuudes Älä hoorintee. Seitsemes Älä varasta. Kahdekses Älä ole väärä todistaja, sinun lähimäises vastaan. Yhdekses Älä pyydä sinun lähimäises hoonetta. Kymmenes. Sinun lähimäises emäntää, palvelijaa, piikaa, karjaa, juktaa, ja mitä sinun lähimäiselläs onopi, älä himoitse. |
Ensimmäinen käsky. Älä kumarra vieraita jumalia. Toinen Älä turhaan mainitse sinun Jumalasi nimeä. Kolmas Pyhitä lepopäivä Neljäs Kunnioita sinun isääsi, ja sinun äitiäsi, että kauan eläisit. Viides Älä tapa. Kuudes Älä huorin tee. Seitsemäs Älä varasta. Kahdeksäs Älä ole väärä todistaja sinun lähimmäistäsi vastaan. Yhdeksäs Älä pyydä sinun lähimmäisesi huonetta. Kymmenes. Sinun lähimmäisesi emäntää, palvelijaa, piikaa, karjaa, juhtaa, ja mitä sinun lähimmäiselläsi onpi, älä himoitse. |
First Commandment. Do not worship false gods. |
Early Modern Finnish[edit]
- Prior to the 20th century, the letter ⟨V⟩ was usually spelled as ⟨W⟩, as Finnish was mostly written in blackletter fonts (particularly fraktur). It was not uncommon in 19th-century sources to distinguish Finnish text from text in other languages by typesetting the Finnish in fraktur or blackletter and the other language in Roman type or antiqua. For example, 19th-century Finnish-Swedish dictionaries typeset Finnish in blackletter and Swedish in Roman type. The first texts to make the transition to Roman type were academic texts in the mid-19th century (although Roman type was also used sporadically before then), but popular texts often took until the 20th century; the first Bible in Roman type was published in 1912, and some newspapers only made the transition in the 1940s. Long s also largely fell out of use concurrently with the transition from blackletter to Roman type.
- The modern norm regarding -oitta- and -otta- in verbs had not yet become standardized. It would take until the 1950s for these to finally become fully standardized.
- kehoittaa → kehottaa kirjottaa → kirjoittaa
- -j- was not consistently spelled when preceded by a -i- (e.g. in sija and many -ja nouns).
- -i- in diphthongs in later syllables was standardized only later, e.g. that -inen is for adjectives and -nen for diminutives.
- Many conjunctions with kuin were still written as one word.
- niinkuin → niin kuin ennenkuin → ennen kuin
Further reading[edit]
- Katsaus vanhan kirjasuomen ortografiaan (in Finnish)
- Suomen oikeinkirjoitus 1500-luvulla (in Finnish)