Finland is a small northern country with a unique flavor. The birthplace of Santa Claus, the land of a thousand lakes - such associations arise at the mention of Finland. As well as a sauna, fishing, and special Finnish humor.
However, few people know that “Finland” is not at all a Finnish word. What do Finns call their country, if not Finland? Suomi is the name of the state. Let’s figure out where it came from.
A bit of history. State formation
For almost seven centuries, Finland was ruled by Sweden. All this time, the Russian Empire fought for the Finnish lands. Only at the beginning of the 19th century Finland went to Russia, and gained independence in 1917. Nevertheless (and maybe for this reason), the Finns are very sensitive to the issue of self-determination and nationality. It is reverent, but patient, accepting the fact of a multilingual and multinational society. Swedish has the status of a second state language, and Russian, although not officially recognized, is studied in many schools and is used in everyday life. Signs, price tags in stores, ads in Russian - this is the norm, especially in border areas.
Why Suomi?
The way Finns call their country has several interpretations. According to one version, the name comes from the word "suomaa" - a swamp, marshy land. On the other - from the word "suomu" - fish scales.
In modern Russian, there is also a consonant word "Sami", the name of a small people living in Lapland, as well as in northern Norway. The Saami are a nomadic reindeer herder tribe that has preserved its own language (in Norway it is the second state language), traditions, and customs.
If you dig deeper, the root of the word "suomi" has something in common with the Baltic "zeme", which means simply "earth".
Finland vs Suomi. What do Finns think
There is no clear explanation of where the word Finland came from. Historians agree only in the fact that it goes back to the times of the Swedish government. The Scandinavian word finnland literally means beautiful land. That is exactly as far back as the 12th century the Swedes called part of the territories of modern southwestern Finland.
Finns themselves, with their characteristic equanimity, accept both names. Loving your country is a national trait. Moreover, this love is deep, not subject to a sense of false patriotism. What is the Finnish country? The homeland for the Finns is thousands of lakes, endless forests, northern lights and self-esteem. With what word is it all called outside the country - a secondary thing.
A national idea is not a political system or territorial integrity. For Finns, this is, first of all, silence, peace and respect for nature.