Where does “vapaa-ajattelija” come from?

vapaa-ajattelija (Finnish) comes from Finnish ajattelija, from Finnish ajatella, from Finnish ajattaa, from Finnish ajaa, from Proto-Finnic ajadak, from Proto-Uralic aja-, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Háȷ́ati, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éǵeti — to drive.

vapaa-ajattelija (Finnish): freethinker

Definitions

  1. freethinker

Ancestry of “vapaa-ajattelija”, step by step

vapaa-ajattelija traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish ajattelija

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishajattelijathinker
2Finnishajatellato think (about)
3FinnishajattaaTo have something driven
4Finnishajaato drive, ride, travel in a vehicle, transport in...
5Proto-Finnicajadakto go in a vehicle, to drive
6Proto-Uralicaja-to drive; to hunt, chase
7Proto-Indo-IranianHáȷ́atito drive, lead
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

via Finnish vapaa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishvapaafree; free, off; spare, free
2Finnishvapada
3Old East Slavicсвободьfree
4Proto-Slavicsvobodafreedom
5Proto-Slavic-oda
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-