selvä

From Proto-Finnic *selvä. Related to Ingrian selvä, Karelian selvä and Kukkuzi selvä.

• IPA^(key): /ˈselʋæ/,
• Rhymes: -elʋæ
• Hyphenation^(key): sel‧vä

selvä (comparative selvempi, superlative selvin)

1. clear (not dark or obscured; of more abstract concepts; see usage notes)

   Synonym: (see usage notes) selkeä

2. clear, plain, lucid (free of ambiguity or doubt; easily understood; of more abstract concepts; see usage notes)

   Synonym: (see usage notes) selkeä

3. clear, unmistakable, obvious, evident

   Synonyms: selkeä, ilmeinen, kiistaton

4. clear, free (unobstructed, free of obstacles)
5. sober (not under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances)

   Near-synonym: raitis

   hyvästi selvä päivä ― guess I won't stay sober today after all (literally, “goodbye, sober day”)

6. clear, distinct (well-marked)
7. clear (able to perceive clearly)

   Synonym: (see usage notes) selkeä

8. clear (easily or distinctly heard or perceived)

   Synonym: (see usage notes) selkeä

9. clear (without diminution)

selvä and selkeä are partly synonymous, but there are some distinctive senses as well. A good article (in Finnish) can be found on this topic on Kotus's website. In summary, selkeä is used of things which have an observable structure, e.g. selkeä taivas (“clear sky”), whereas selvä is generally used in abstract contexts, e.g. tehdä selväksi (“to make clear”). There is a wide overlapping area, e.g. a thought may be both selkeä and selvä. Sometimes the difference is a matter of convention, e.g. reitti on selvä means that a route is clear of obstacles and reitti on selkeä means that the route is easy to grasp because it is straightforward or well marked.

selvä!

1. all right, OK (used to affirm, indicate agreement, or consent).

   Selvä, mennäänpä sitten.

   All right, let's go then.

2. (radio) roger!

• “selvä”, 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

• sävel

From Proto-Finnic *selvä. Cognates include Finnish selvä.

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈselʋæ/,
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈselʋæ/,
• Rhymes: -elʋ, -elʋæ
• Hyphenation: sel‧vä

selvä (comparative selvemp)

1. quick, fast
2. smart, clever
   • 1915, Volmari Porkka, quoting Natelia Suijalta, “1150. Soikkola, Ruutsia, III11”, in Väinö Salminen, editor, Suomen Kansan Vanhat Runot. Länsi-Inkerin runot‎, volume III1, Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, lines 12-13:

     Sepoin tyttöi, selvä t[yttöi]. // Tuo tarkka takojan neitoi

     The smith's daughter, the smart daughter. // That clever daughter of a forger

• (quick): huima, sukkela, kiire, huimakas
• (smart): huima, kavala, tarkka, meelövä

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 518