Where does “ikäneito” come from?

ikäneito (Finnish) comes from Finnish ikä, from Proto-Finnic ikä, from Proto-Finno-Ugric ikä — age, year.

ikäneito (Finnish): spinster

Definitions

  1. spinster

Ancestry of “ikäneito”, step by step

ikäneito traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish ikä

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishikäage; life; lifetime
2Proto-Finnicikäage; lifetime
3Proto-Finno-Ugricikäage, year

via Finnish neito

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishneitomaiden, maid; nigella
Every word from Proto-Finno-Ugric ikä →Every word from Proto-Finnic ikä →Every word from Finnish ikä →