Where does “äly-” come from?

äly- (Finnish) comes from Finnish äly, from Proto-Finnic älü, from Proto-Finno-Permic älwä.

äly- (Finnish): extremely, totally, very, really used as an intensifier in compound terms

Definitions

  1. extremely, totally, very, really used as an intensifier in compound terms

Ancestry of “äly-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishälyintellect, intelligence; smart; bucket bong
2Proto-Finnicälüintellect, intelligence, understanding
3Proto-Finno-Permicälwä—
Every word from Proto-Finno-Permic älwä →Every word from Proto-Finnic älü →Every word from Finnish äly →
äly- — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer