itkuvirsi

Finnish

noun
Definitions
  • a type of singing while crying in a specific context, e.g. wedding or funeral; common type of ethnic poetry among Finnic peoples until 20th century; a dirge, lament
  • (humorous) a piece of music one finds too depressing and not sufficiently upbeat
  • (colloquial) a whining, rant, complaint

Etymology

Affix from Finnish itku (cry, crying, weep) + Finnish virsi (psalm, hymn).

Origin

Finnish

virsi

Gloss

psalm, hymn

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms