Where does “valokytkin” come from?

valokytkin (Finnish) comes from Finnish kytkin, from Finnish kytkeä, from Proto-Finnic kütkedäk, from Proto-Uralic kütke- — to bind.

valokytkin (Finnish): light switch

Definitions

  1. light switch

Ancestry of “valokytkin”, step by step

valokytkin traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish kytkin

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishkytkinswitch; clutch; First-person singular indicative...
2Finnishkytkeäto hook, hook up, connect, couple; "~ irti" = to...
3Proto-Finnickütkedäkto bind, to tie
4Proto-Uralickütke-to bind

via Finnish valo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishvalolight
2Proto-Finnicvalolight visible radiation
3Proto-Finno-Ugricwaĺɜ—
Every word from Proto-Uralic kütke- →Every word from Proto-Finnic kütkedäk →Every word from Finnish kytkeä →