Where does “vaivaistalo” come from?

vaivaistalo (Finnish) comes from Finnish vaivainen, from Finnish vaiva, from Proto-Finnic vaiva, from Proto-Germanic waiwô, from Proto-Indo-European wai — oh!; woe!.

vaivaistalo (Finnish): poorhouse, workhouse

Definitions

  1. poorhouse, workhouse

Ancestry of “vaivaistalo”, step by step

vaivaistalo traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish vaivainen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishvaivainenmeasly, paltry, miserable, wretched, pitiful,...
2Finnishvaivabother, inconvenience; ailment
3Proto-Finnicvaivabother, inconvenience; pain, illness, torment
4Proto-Germanicwaiwôwoe, grief, misery; evil, wickedness, malice
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwaioh!; woe!

via Finnish talo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishtalohouse; building; farm, homestead
2Ludiantaloifarm; house
3Proto-Finnictalofarm, farmstead
4Proto-Baltictalˀa-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European waiEvery word from Proto-Germanic waiwôEvery word from Proto-Finnic vaiva