paalu

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Swedish pāl, pāle (compare modern Swedish påle; cognate with English pole); ultimately from Latin pālus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɑːlu/,
• Rhymes: -ɑːlu
• Syllabification^(key): paa‧lu

Noun

paalu

1. stake, pole (long and slender piece of wood or other material, often pointed at one end so as to be easily driven into the ground as a marker or a support or stay)

   toteemipaalu ― totem pole

2. pile (large stake, driven into the earth or sea-bed for the support of a building, a pier, etc.)

   paalujuntta ― pile driver

3. (historical) the stake (upright piece of timber to which a person condemned to death by burning alive was affixed)
4. (heraldry) pale
5. (slang) money

Usage notes

• Finnish words referring to long and slender objects which may be translated into English as "pole" include: tanko, pylväs, salko, puomi, seiväs, sauva.

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• “paalu”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

Anagrams

• Lapua, Palau, Paula, lupaa, palau, paula, pulaa