Where does “kirjainleikkaus” come from?

kirjainleikkaus (Finnish) comes from Finnish kirjain, from Finnish kirjata, from Finnish kirja, from Proto-Finnic kirja — decoration, carving, pattern.

Ancestry of “kirjainleikkaus”, step by step

kirjainleikkaus traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish kirjain

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishkirjainletter; Genitive plural form of kirja
2Finnishkirjatato book, log, register; to register
3Finnishkirjabook; quire
4Proto-Finnickirjadecoration, carving, pattern

via Finnish leikkaus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishleikkauscut, cutting; operation, surgery; perioperative
2Finnishleikatato cut; to incise; to mow
3Proto-Finnicleik'at'akto cut
Every word from Proto-Finnic kirjaEvery word from Finnish kirjaEvery word from Finnish kirjata