Proto-Finnic *louna + -as, from Proto-Finno-Permic *lowna (“day, midday”). Cognates include Karelian lounat (“evening/main meal”), Veps louna, Votic lõunõd (“south, lunch”), Estonian lõuna (“south, lunch”) and Komi-Permyak лун (lun). Permic cognates have the meaning "day", whereas Baltic-Finnic cognates denote the direction where the Sun is at midday or the meal eaten at midday.
The compass point meaning was clarified in the 19th century and inverted compared to Estonian: southwest is lounas in Finnish and edel in Estonian, while south is etelä in Finnish and lõuna in Estonian. In older texts and dialects, lounas may mean either south, southwest or southeast. Compare lounatuuli (“southern wind”).[1]
lounas
Inflection of lounas (Kotus type 41/vieras, no gradation) | |||
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nominative | lounas | lounaat | |
genitive | lounaan | lounaiden lounaitten | |
partitive | lounasta | lounaita | |
illative | lounaaseen | lounaisiin | |
singular | plural | ||
nominative | lounas | lounaat | |
accusative | nom. | lounas | lounaat |
gen. | lounaan | ||
genitive | lounaan | lounaiden lounaitten lounasten rare | |
partitive | lounasta | lounaita | |
inessive | lounaassa | lounaissa | |
elative | lounaasta | lounaista | |
illative | lounaaseen | lounaisiin lounaihin rare | |
adessive | lounaalla | lounailla | |
ablative | lounaalta | lounailta | |
allative | lounaalle | lounaille | |
essive | lounaana | lounaina | |
translative | lounaaksi | lounaiksi | |
abessive | lounaatta | lounaitta | |
instructive | — | lounain | |
comitative | See the possessive forms below. |
luode | pohjoinen | koillinen |
länsi | itä | |
lounas | etelä | kaakko |