Where does “valokirjain” come from?

valokirjain (Finnish) comes from Finnish kirjain, from Finnish kirjata, from Finnish kirja, from Proto-Finnic kirja — decoration, carving, pattern.

valokirjain (Finnish): lighted letter, light-up letter, illuminated letter

Definitions

  1. lighted letter, light-up letter, illuminated letter

Ancestry of “valokirjain”, step by step

valokirjain traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish kirjain

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishkirjainletter; Genitive plural form of kirja
2Finnishkirjatato book, log, register; to register
3Finnishkirjabook; quire
4Proto-Finnickirjadecoration, carving, pattern

via Finnish valo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishvalolight
2Proto-Finnicvalolight visible radiation
3Proto-Finno-Ugricwaĺɜ—
Every word from Proto-Finnic kirja →Every word from Finnish kirja →Every word from Finnish kirjata →