Where does “hengenhätä” come from?

hengenhätä (Finnish) comes from Finnish hätä, from Proto-Finnic hätä, from Proto-Finnic šätä, from Proto-Germanic sētō, from Proto-Indo-European sḗd- — to sit.

hengenhätä (Finnish): life-or-death emergency

Definitions

  1. life-or-death emergency

Ancestry of “hengenhätä”, step by step

hengenhätä traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish hätä

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishhätäemergency; distress; need, necessity
2Proto-Finnichätäemergency; distress, agony
3Proto-Finnicšätähundred
4Proto-Germanicsētōplace, position; lying in wait, ambush
5Proto-Indo-Europeansḗd-to sit

via Finnish henki

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishhenkibreath; spirit, ghost; life
2Proto-Finnichenkibreath; soul, life force
3Proto-Uralicčeŋke—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sḗd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic sētō →Every word from Proto-Finnic šätä →