Where does “kielenselkä” come from?

kielenselkä (Finnish) comes from Finnish kieli, from Proto-Finnic keeli, from Proto-Uralic käle — tongue; language.

kielenselkä (Finnish): dorsum of the tongue

Definitions

  1. dorsum of the tongue

Ancestry of “kielenselkä”, step by step

kielenselkä traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish kieli

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishkielitongue; language; string
2Proto-Finnickeelitongue; language
3Proto-Uralickäletongue; language

via Finnish selkä

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishselkäback; ridge, spine; watershed area
2Proto-Finnicselkäback; ridge
3Proto-Finno-Permicśelkä—
Every word from Proto-Uralic käle →Every word from Proto-Finnic keeli →Every word from Finnish kieli →