Where does “vaalivaltti” come from?

vaalivaltti (Finnish) comes from Finnish vaali, from Swedish väl, from Old Swedish hval, from Old Norse hvalr, from Proto-Germanic hwalaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos — large fish; sheatfish.

vaalivaltti (Finnish): electoral trump card

Definitions

  1. electoral trump card

Ancestry of “vaalivaltti”, step by step

vaalivaltti traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish vaali

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishvaalielection; Third-person singular indicative past...
2Swedishvälwell; accurately, completely, to a significant...
3Old Swedishhvalwhale
4Old Norsehvalrwhale
5Proto-Germanichwalazwhale, sheatfish
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kʷáloslarge fish; sheatfish

via Finnish valtti

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishvalttitrump; trump, advantage
2Swedishvälttipped, felled; a road roller; an agricultural...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwalaz →Every word from Old Norse hvalr →
vaalivaltti — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer