Where does “kirjokärppä” come from?

kirjokärppä (Finnish) comes from Finnish kirjo, from Proto-Finnic kirjoi, from Proto-Finnic kirja — decoration, carving, pattern.

kirjokärppä (Finnish): African striped weasel, Poecilogale albinucha

Definitions

  1. African striped weasel, Poecilogale albinucha

Ancestry of “kirjokärppä”, step by step

kirjokärppä traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish kirjo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishkirjospectrum; as a modifier in a compound term...
2Proto-Finnickirjoivariegated, mottled, spotted
3Proto-Finnickirjadecoration, carving, pattern

via Finnish kärppä

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishkärppästoat, short-tailed weasel; ermine especially in the white winter coat, Mustela erminea
2Proto-Finnickärppästoat, ermine
Every word from Proto-Finnic kirja →Every word from Proto-Finnic kirjoi →Every word from Finnish kirjo →