Where does “laivakissa” come from?

laivakissa (Finnish) comes from Finnish laiva, from Proto-Finnic laiva, from Proto-Finnic lawja, from Proto-Germanic flawją, from Proto-Indo-European plew- — to fly, flow, run.

laivakissa (Finnish): ship's cat

Definitions

  1. ship's cat

Ancestry of “laivakissa”, step by step

laivakissa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish laiva

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishlaivaship; nave
2Proto-Finniclaivaship
3Proto-Finniclawja
4Proto-Germanicflawjąship, vessel
5Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run

via Finnish kissa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishkissacat; cat, chick, fox
2Swedishkissecat, kitty
3Swedishkisspee, wee, tinkle, urine
Every word from Proto-Indo-European plew-Every word from Proto-Germanic flawjąEvery word from Proto-Finnic lawja