Where does “piälinna” come from?

piälinna (Karelian) comes from Karelian piä, from Proto-Finnic pää, from Proto-Uralic päŋe — head.

piälinna (Karelian): capital city

Definitions

  1. capital city

Ancestry of “piälinna”, step by step

piälinna traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Karelian piä

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Karelianpiähead
2Proto-Finnicpäähead
3Proto-Uralicpäŋehead

via Karelian linna

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Karelianlinnatown, city
2Proto-Finniclitnatown, city; fortification, fortress
Every word from Proto-Uralic päŋe →Every word from Proto-Finnic pää →Every word from Karelian piä →