Karelian
/kəˈriː.li.ən/noun
Relating to Karelia, its people, or the Karelian language.
Did you know?The ultimate origin of Karelia is disputed: although it is sometimes connected with Finnish karja, “herd” or “cattle,” scholars cannot prove that this explains the regional name.
Etymological Timeline
Early Medieval Period
Finnic
*Karjala
“Reconstructed ancestral form of the regional name; its original meaning remains uncertain.”
12th–13th Century
Old East Slavic
Корѣла / Korela
“Historical Slavic forms referring to the Karelian people or territory.”
16th Century
Finnish
Karjala
“The name of Karelia, a historical region around the eastern Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga.”
17th–18th Century
Swedish
Karelen
“Swedish name for Karelia, used in descriptions of the region and its inhabitants.”
19th Century
English
Karelian
“English adjective and noun referring to Karelia, the Karelians, or their language.”
Modern English
English
Karelian
“Relating to the Karelian people, language, culture, or geographical region.”