The Impact of Finnish on Other Languages: Loanwords and Influences

Finnish isn’t exactly known for its global dominance, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t left its mark. Contrary to popular belief, Finnish has loaned words to other languages - just not in the way you might expect. No, you won’t find Finnish replacing English as the lingua franca anytime soon, but you’d be surprised how many terms have slipped into other lexicons, often through culture, geography, or sheer necessity.

Finnish words in English (yes, really)

Most people assume Finnish is a linguistic black hole - only absorbing words, never giving any back. Wrong. English, for instance, has borrowed a handful of Finnish terms, usually tied to very specific cultural exports. Take sauna. It’s so ubiquitous now that nobody even thinks of it as Finnish anymore, but that’s exactly what it is. The word hasn’t changed, the concept hasn’t been altered - it’s a straight-up loan.

Then there’s pulla, the cardamom-spiced sweet bread that’s made its way into Scandinavian bakeries worldwide. Or reindeer, which comes from the Old Norse hreindyri, but entered English via Finnish-influenced northern trade routes. Not exactly high-frequency vocabulary, but they count.

Finnish in neighbouring languages

Where Finnish really flexes its linguistic influence is in its own backyard. Swedish, for instance, has absorbed a fair number of Finnish words, particularly in dialects spoken near the Finnish border. Words like poika (boy) and tunturi (fell, as in the mountain) appear in regional Swedish dialects, borrowed directly from Finnish settlers.

Finnish in Russian: A surprising exchange

Thanks to centuries of border shifts and trade, Russian has picked up a few Finnish terms, particularly in the northwest. The word paltto (a type of overcoat) comes from the Finnish palttoo, while poro (reindeer) appears in some northern Russian dialects. Not exactly everyday vocabulary, but they’re there.

Why Finnish doesn’t loan out more words

Let’s be real: Finnish isn’t exactly handing out words like free samples. The language’s agglutinative structure and lack of close relatives make it a tough sell for borrowing. Most loanwords from Finnish are either cultural exports (like sauna) or geographic terms (like tunturi). If you’re expecting Finnish to have the same lexical influence as French or Latin, you’re going to be disappointed. But that doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant - just niche.

For more on Finnish’s quirks, check out our guide on Simplifying Finnish Grammar.