Where does “vappupäivä” come from?
vappupäivä (Finnish) comes from Finnish Vappu, from Finnish Valpuri, from German Walpurga, from Old High German Waltburg, from Old High German burg, from Proto-West Germanic burg, from Proto-Germanic burgz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ-.
Ancestry of “vappupäivä”, step by step
vappupäivä traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Finnish Vappu
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finnish | Vappu | May Day, Labor Day, Walpurgis night 1st of May; in Finland, a highly joyous, festive occasion, especially among the working class and students |
| 2 | Finnish | Valpuri | — |
| 3 | German | Walpurga | an eighth century saint whose feast day on May 1st coincided with a pagan feast associated in folklore with witchcraft |
| 4 | Old High German | Waltburg | — |
| 5 | Old High German | burg | a castle; a city |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | burg | fortification; city |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | burgz | fortification, stronghold; city |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰr̥ǵʰ- | — |