Taivas
/ˈtɑi̯ʋɑs/noun
The sky or heavens, especially in poetic or religious contexts.
Did you know?Taivas is generally considered a Finnic borrowing related to Baltic forms such as Lithuanian dievas, ultimately connected with the Proto-Indo-European sky-god root behind Zeus and Jupiter.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*Dyēus
“The bright daytime sky, personified as a sky deity”
Proto-Baltic
Baltic
*deivas
“A god or heavenly divine being”
Proto-Finnic
Proto-Finnic
*taivas
“The sky or heavens; likely borrowed from a Baltic form”
13th–16th Century
Old Finnish
taivas
“The visible sky and the heavenly realm”
Modern Finnish
Finnish
taivas
“Sky, heaven, or heavens”