Karjala

See also: karjala

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑrjɑlɑ/, [ˈkɑ̝rjɑ̝lɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑrjɑlɑ
• Syllabification^(key): Kar‧ja‧la
• Hyphenation^(key): Kar‧ja‧la

Etymology 1

Current administrative regions of Karelia

Historical regions of Karelia, with modern country borders superimposed; prior to the Second World War, the Karelian Isthmus and Ladoga Karelia were also part of Finland

The traditional theory says that the name is simply karja +‎ -la. In modern Finnish, karja means “livestock, cattle”; one explanation says that the name Karjala originally meant “pasture” (and karjalainen (“Karelian”) originally meant “cattle herder”). Another explanation points out that the Finnish word was borrowed from Proto-Germanic *harjaz (“army”), and this original meaning “army” might be the one seen in Karjala.

Alternatively, Saarikivi (2024) has remarked that the other forms of the name, notably Kariela found in Tver Karelian, are more likely to be primary (rather than secondary due to e.g. Russian influence); the oldest form found in Slavic corresponds to Корела (Korela). Most likely, this name originally referred to a smaller region or even a town, such as Käkisalmi (Priozersk, first mentioned in historical records as Old Novgorodian Корѣла (Korěla) since 1143). The name could derive a given name like *Karie, *Karei (possibly akin to karkea, compare Livvi karei), or from an old Orthodox given name, in either case with -la.

The place name is first attested in Latin text as Cariali in 1257. For the surname, compare Karjalainen.

Proper noun

Karjala

1. Karelia (a historical region of Northern Europe, located to the north of Saint Petersburg and politically split between Russia and Finland)
2. a Finnish surname

Usage notes

• The Russian Republic of Karelia is referred to as Karjalan tasavalta in Finnish.

Declension

Inflection of Karjala (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)
nominative		Karjala	Karjalat
genitive		Karjalan	Karjaloiden Karjaloitten
partitive		Karjalaa	Karjaloita
illative		Karjalaan	Karjaloihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Karjala	Karjalat
accusative	nom.	Karjala	Karjalat
	gen.	Karjalan
genitive		Karjalan	Karjaloiden Karjaloitten Karjalain rare
partitive		Karjalaa	Karjaloita
inessive		Karjalassa	Karjaloissa
elative		Karjalasta	Karjaloista
illative		Karjalaan	Karjaloihin
adessive		Karjalalla	Karjaloilla
ablative		Karjalalta	Karjaloilta
allative		Karjalalle	Karjaloille
essive		Karjalana	Karjaloina
translative		Karjalaksi	Karjaloiksi
abessive		Karjalatta	Karjaloitta
instructive		—	Karjaloin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Karjala (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Karjalani Karjalani accusative nom. Karjalani Karjalani gen. Karjalani genitive Karjalani Karjaloideni Karjaloitteni Karjalaini rare partitive Karjalaani Karjaloitani inessive Karjalassani Karjaloissani elative Karjalastani Karjaloistani illative Karjalaani Karjaloihini adessive Karjalallani Karjaloillani ablative Karjalaltani Karjaloiltani allative Karjalalleni Karjaloilleni essive Karjalanani Karjaloinani translative Karjalakseni Karjaloikseni abessive Karjalattani Karjaloittani instructive — — comitative — Karjaloineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Karjalasi Karjalasi accusative nom. Karjalasi Karjalasi gen. Karjalasi genitive Karjalasi Karjaloidesi Karjaloittesi Karjalaisi rare partitive Karjalaasi Karjaloitasi inessive Karjalassasi Karjaloissasi elative Karjalastasi Karjaloistasi illative Karjalaasi Karjaloihisi adessive Karjalallasi Karjaloillasi ablative Karjalaltasi Karjaloiltasi allative Karjalallesi Karjaloillesi essive Karjalanasi Karjaloinasi translative Karjalaksesi Karjaloiksesi abessive Karjalattasi Karjaloittasi instructive — — comitative — Karjaloinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Karjalamme Karjalamme accusative nom. Karjalamme Karjalamme gen. Karjalamme genitive Karjalamme Karjaloidemme Karjaloittemme Karjalaimme rare partitive Karjalaamme Karjaloitamme inessive Karjalassamme Karjaloissamme elative Karjalastamme Karjaloistamme illative Karjalaamme Karjaloihimme adessive Karjalallamme Karjaloillamme ablative Karjalaltamme Karjaloiltamme allative Karjalallemme Karjaloillemme essive Karjalanamme Karjaloinamme translative Karjalaksemme Karjaloiksemme abessive Karjalattamme Karjaloittamme instructive — — comitative — Karjaloinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Karjalanne Karjalanne accusative nom. Karjalanne Karjalanne gen. Karjalanne genitive Karjalanne Karjaloidenne Karjaloittenne Karjalainne rare partitive Karjalaanne Karjaloitanne inessive Karjalassanne Karjaloissanne elative Karjalastanne Karjaloistanne illative Karjalaanne Karjaloihinne adessive Karjalallanne Karjaloillanne ablative Karjalaltanne Karjaloiltanne allative Karjalallenne Karjaloillenne essive Karjalananne Karjaloinanne translative Karjalaksenne Karjaloiksenne abessive Karjalattanne Karjaloittanne instructive — — comitative — Karjaloinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Karjalansa Karjalansa accusative nom. Karjalansa Karjalansa gen. Karjalansa genitive Karjalansa Karjaloidensa Karjaloittensa Karjalainsa rare partitive Karjalaansa Karjaloitaan Karjaloitansa inessive Karjalassaan Karjalassansa Karjaloissaan Karjaloissansa elative Karjalastaan Karjalastansa Karjaloistaan Karjaloistansa illative Karjalaansa Karjaloihinsa adessive Karjalallaan Karjalallansa Karjaloillaan Karjaloillansa ablative Karjalaltaan Karjalaltansa Karjaloiltaan Karjaloiltansa allative Karjalalleen Karjalallensa Karjaloilleen Karjaloillensa essive Karjalanaan Karjalanansa Karjaloinaan Karjaloinansa translative Karjalakseen Karjalaksensa Karjaloikseen Karjaloiksensa abessive Karjalattaan Karjalattansa Karjaloittaan Karjaloittansa instructive — — comitative — Karjaloineen Karjaloinensa

Derived terms

• Aunuksen Karjala
• karjala
• karjalainen
• Karjalainen
• Karjalan tasavalta
• Laatokan Karjala
• luovutettu Karjala
• Tverin Karjala
• Vienan Karjala

compounds

• Etelä-Karjala
• Karjalankannas
• karjalankarhukoira
• karjalanneito
• karjalanpaisti
• karjalanpiirakka
• karjalanpiiras
• karjalanruusu
• karjalantalo
• Muinais-Karjala
• Pohjois-Karjala
• Raja-Karjala

Statistics

• Karjala is the 2547^th (tied with 8 other surnames) most common surname in Finland, belonging to 312 individuals, according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Etymology 2

karja- +‎ -la. May be named after Karjakoski (probably karja + koski), a village near Mynämäki, perhaps because it was the village from which settlers arrived in Karjala (the village after which the municipality was named).

Proper noun

Karjala

1. a former municipality of Varsinais-Suomi, in southwestern Finland, formerly and since 1977 again part of Mynämäki.

Usage notes

Some sources used an unofficial name Karjala Tl (with Tl standing for Turun (ja Porin) lääni (“Turku (and Pori) Province”)) to distinguish the municipality from the sense “Karelia”.

Declension

Inflection of Karjala (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)
nominative		Karjala	—
genitive		Karjalan	—
partitive		Karjalaa	—
illative		Karjalaan	—
		singular	plural
nominative		Karjala	—
accusative	nom.	Karjala	—
	gen.	Karjalan
genitive		Karjalan	—
partitive		Karjalaa	—
inessive		Karjalassa	—
elative		Karjalasta	—
illative		Karjalaan	—
adessive		Karjalalla	—
ablative		Karjalalta	—
allative		Karjalalle	—
essive		Karjalana	—
translative		Karjalaksi	—
abessive		Karjalatta	—
instructive		—	—
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Karjala (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Karjalani — accusative nom. Karjalani — gen. Karjalani genitive Karjalani — partitive Karjalaani — inessive Karjalassani — elative Karjalastani — illative Karjalaani — adessive Karjalallani — ablative Karjalaltani — allative Karjalalleni — essive Karjalanani — translative Karjalakseni — abessive Karjalattani — instructive — — comitative — — second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Karjalasi — accusative nom. Karjalasi — gen. Karjalasi genitive Karjalasi — partitive Karjalaasi — inessive Karjalassasi — elative Karjalastasi — illative Karjalaasi — adessive Karjalallasi — ablative Karjalaltasi — allative Karjalallesi — essive Karjalanasi — translative Karjalaksesi — abessive Karjalattasi — instructive — — comitative — — first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Karjalamme — accusative nom. Karjalamme — gen. Karjalamme genitive Karjalamme — partitive Karjalaamme — inessive Karjalassamme — elative Karjalastamme — illative Karjalaamme — adessive Karjalallamme — ablative Karjalaltamme — allative Karjalallemme — essive Karjalanamme — translative Karjalaksemme — abessive Karjalattamme — instructive — — comitative — — second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Karjalanne — accusative nom. Karjalanne — gen. Karjalanne genitive Karjalanne — partitive Karjalaanne — inessive Karjalassanne — elative Karjalastanne — illative Karjalaanne — adessive Karjalallanne — ablative Karjalaltanne — allative Karjalallenne — essive Karjalananne — translative Karjalaksenne — abessive Karjalattanne — instructive — — comitative — — third-person possessor singular plural nominative Karjalansa — accusative nom. Karjalansa — gen. Karjalansa genitive Karjalansa — partitive Karjalaansa — inessive Karjalassaan Karjalassansa — elative Karjalastaan Karjalastansa — illative Karjalaansa — adessive Karjalallaan Karjalallansa — ablative Karjalaltaan Karjalaltansa — allative Karjalalleen Karjalallensa — essive Karjalanaan Karjalanansa — translative Karjalakseen Karjalaksensa — abessive Karjalattaan Karjalattansa — instructive — — comitative — —

Derived terms

• karjalalainen

Further reading

• Disambiguation page for Karjala on the Finnish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^fi

Ingrian

Etymology

From karjala (“Karelian”). Akin to Finnish Karjala and Estonian Karjala.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑrjɑlɑ/, [ˈkɑrjəɫ]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑrjɑlɑ/, [ˈkɑrjɑɫɑ]
• Rhymes: -ɑrjɑl, -ɑrjɑlɑ
• Hyphenation: Kar‧ja‧la

Proper noun

Karjala

1. Karelia (a region of Russia and Finland)
   • 1916, Volmari Porkka, quoting Mapu Uudestakylestä, “1286. Soikkola, Oussimäki, III151”, in Väinö Salminen, V. Alava, editor, Suomen Kansan Vanhat Runot. Länsi-Inkerin runot‎^[1], volume III2, Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, lines 1-2:

     Kasvoi kaksi poikoi lasta, // Yksi kasvoi Karjalassa;

     There grew two little boys, // One grew in Karelia;

Declension

Declension of Karjala (type 3/kana, no gradation)
	singular	plural
nominative	Karjala	Karjalat
genitive	Karjalan	Karjaloin
partitive	Karjalaa	Karjaloja
illative	Karjalaa	Karjaloihe
inessive	Karjalaas	Karjalois
elative	Karjalast	Karjaloist
allative	Karjalalle	Karjaloille
adessive	Karjalaal	Karjaloil
ablative	Karjalalt	Karjaloilt
translative	Karjalaks	Karjaloiks
essive	Karjalanna, Karjalaan	Karjaloinna, Karjaloin
exessive1)	Karjalant	Karjaloint
1) obsolete *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.