kekri

MEANING:

Noun: An old Finnish feast celebrated at the beginning of November, corresponding to Halloween.

Kekri, also spelled Keyri, or Käyri, in ancient Finnish religion, a feast day marking the end of the agricultural season that also coincided with the time when the cattle were taken in from pasture and settled for a winter’s stay in the barn. Kekri originally fell on Michaelmas, September 29, but was later shifted to November 1, All Saints’ Day. In the old system of reckoning time, Kekri was a critical period between the old and new years when the ancestor spirits came to visit their former homes. The living accordingly held feasts honouring the dead.

saalis

saalis

MEANING:

Noun: catch, prey.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Related terms

saalistaa – to prey, to hunt
saalistaja – predator

pilkullinen

pilkullinen

MEANING:

Adjective: spotty, dotted.

DERIVED FROM:

Pilkullinen comes from pilkku ‎(“spot” or ”comma”) +‎ -llinen

talkoot

talkoot

MEANING:

Noun (plural): a gathering for carrying out a major task, such as harvesting, construction or yardwork.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Alternative form of talkootyö, meaning ”volunteering” or ”volunteer work.”

pala palalta

pala palalta

MEANING:

Adverb: bit by bit, little by little, gradually (in small pieces). Literally, piece by piece.

DERIVED FROM:

Pala palalta comes from pala (”piece” or ”bit”) + palalta (ablative singular of pala).

EXTRA CREDIT:

Let’s translate the whole headline, ”Lauttassaren vesitorni katoaa pala palalta” or ”Lauttasaari’s water tower disappears little by little.”

Some synonyms:

mureta

mureta

MEANING:

Verb: to crumble (to break progressively into small pieces)

Mureta appears in our example in the 3rd person singular, murenee.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Let’s translate the whole headline, ”Maamerkki murenee. Vesitorni on maan tasalla joulukuussa” or ”The water tower will razed to the ground in December.”