• underscore_@sopuli.xyz
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    2 days ago

    There is an urban legend that when the Swedish map makers came to Finland the locals would mess with them when asked what a pace was called and that is why so many place names have “vittu” or “perse” etc. in them.

    • Dasus@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      Also they named Turku just Åbo.

      Åbo.

      Swedish “å” is an entire word meaning;

      a river, a creek, a big stream
      

      “Bo”

      bo n

      **a dwelling** (of an animal), especially a bird's nest
      
          fågelbo
      
              bird’s nest
      
          att bygga bo
      
              to build a nest / to nest ("build nest" – idiomatic phrasing)
      
      (poetic, extended from sense 1) **a home**
      
      sätta bo
      
          settle down
      

      So it’s a three letter word basically saying river-dwelling

      I think rather than ask Finns what a place was named they just named them themselves. Perhaps because they were tired of the locals calling everything shit and piss. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯