Where does “metsänhaltija” come from?

metsänhaltija (Finnish) comes from Finnish metsä, from Proto-Finnic *meccä, from Proto-Baltic medjas.

metsänhaltija (Finnish): forest spirit, forest elf

Definitions

  1. forest spirit, forest elf

Ancestry of “metsänhaltija”, step by step

metsänhaltija traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish metsä

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishmetsäforest, woods; bush; hunting
2Proto-Finnic*meccä—
3Proto-Balticmedjas—

via Finnish haltija

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishhaltijaholder, occupant; possessor, occupant; elf
2Proto-Norseᚺᚨᛚᛞᛁᛃᚨᛉholder
Every word from Proto-Baltic medjas →Every word from Proto-Finnic *meccä →Every word from Finnish metsä →