pesukarhu

Finnish

Etymology

Compound of pesu (“washing”) +‎ karhu (“bear”); calque of Swedish tvättbjörn and German Waschbär (“raccoon”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpesuˌkɑrhu/, [ˈpe̞s̠uˌkɑ̝rhu]
• Rhymes: -ɑrhu
• Hyphenation^(key): pesu‧karhu

Noun

pesukarhu

1. raccoon, Procyon lotor
2. raccoon (any species in the genus Procyon)

Usage notes

A working group for naming mammals proposed in 2008 that the raccoon be named supi in Finnish because a) all other species in the genus have supi in their name (although the genus is called pesukarhut), b) the raccoon is not a karhu (“bear”), and c) the term supi has been used for raccoon fur in Finland and for the animal by Finnish Americans. Opponents claim that this proposed change would be confusing because the term pesukarhu is unambiguous and raccoon dog is supikoira in Finnish and is often called supi in colloquial speech. As a result, supi has not gained popularity as the Finnish name for the raccoon.

Declension

Inflection of pesukarhu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		pesukarhu	pesukarhut
genitive		pesukarhun	pesukarhujen
partitive		pesukarhua	pesukarhuja
illative		pesukarhuun	pesukarhuihin
		singular	plural
nominative		pesukarhu	pesukarhut
accusative	nom.	pesukarhu	pesukarhut
	gen.	pesukarhun
genitive		pesukarhun	pesukarhujen
partitive		pesukarhua	pesukarhuja
inessive		pesukarhussa	pesukarhuissa
elative		pesukarhusta	pesukarhuista
illative		pesukarhuun	pesukarhuihin
adessive		pesukarhulla	pesukarhuilla
ablative		pesukarhulta	pesukarhuilta
allative		pesukarhulle	pesukarhuille
essive		pesukarhuna	pesukarhuina
translative		pesukarhuksi	pesukarhuiksi
abessive		pesukarhutta	pesukarhuitta
instructive		—	pesukarhuin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of pesukarhu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative pesukarhuni pesukarhuni accusative nom. pesukarhuni pesukarhuni gen. pesukarhuni genitive pesukarhuni pesukarhujeni partitive pesukarhuani pesukarhujani inessive pesukarhussani pesukarhuissani elative pesukarhustani pesukarhuistani illative pesukarhuuni pesukarhuihini adessive pesukarhullani pesukarhuillani ablative pesukarhultani pesukarhuiltani allative pesukarhulleni pesukarhuilleni essive pesukarhunani pesukarhuinani translative pesukarhukseni pesukarhuikseni abessive pesukarhuttani pesukarhuittani instructive — — comitative — pesukarhuineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative pesukarhusi pesukarhusi accusative nom. pesukarhusi pesukarhusi gen. pesukarhusi genitive pesukarhusi pesukarhujesi partitive pesukarhuasi pesukarhujasi inessive pesukarhussasi pesukarhuissasi elative pesukarhustasi pesukarhuistasi illative pesukarhuusi pesukarhuihisi adessive pesukarhullasi pesukarhuillasi ablative pesukarhultasi pesukarhuiltasi allative pesukarhullesi pesukarhuillesi essive pesukarhunasi pesukarhuinasi translative pesukarhuksesi pesukarhuiksesi abessive pesukarhuttasi pesukarhuittasi instructive — — comitative — pesukarhuinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative pesukarhumme pesukarhumme accusative nom. pesukarhumme pesukarhumme gen. pesukarhumme genitive pesukarhumme pesukarhujemme partitive pesukarhuamme pesukarhujamme inessive pesukarhussamme pesukarhuissamme elative pesukarhustamme pesukarhuistamme illative pesukarhuumme pesukarhuihimme adessive pesukarhullamme pesukarhuillamme ablative pesukarhultamme pesukarhuiltamme allative pesukarhullemme pesukarhuillemme essive pesukarhunamme pesukarhuinamme translative pesukarhuksemme pesukarhuiksemme abessive pesukarhuttamme pesukarhuittamme instructive — — comitative — pesukarhuinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative pesukarhunne pesukarhunne accusative nom. pesukarhunne pesukarhunne gen. pesukarhunne genitive pesukarhunne pesukarhujenne partitive pesukarhuanne pesukarhujanne inessive pesukarhussanne pesukarhuissanne elative pesukarhustanne pesukarhuistanne illative pesukarhuunne pesukarhuihinne adessive pesukarhullanne pesukarhuillanne ablative pesukarhultanne pesukarhuiltanne allative pesukarhullenne pesukarhuillenne essive pesukarhunanne pesukarhuinanne translative pesukarhuksenne pesukarhuiksenne abessive pesukarhuttanne pesukarhuittanne instructive — — comitative — pesukarhuinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative pesukarhunsa pesukarhunsa accusative nom. pesukarhunsa pesukarhunsa gen. pesukarhunsa genitive pesukarhunsa pesukarhujensa partitive pesukarhuaan pesukarhuansa pesukarhujaan pesukarhujansa inessive pesukarhussaan pesukarhussansa pesukarhuissaan pesukarhuissansa elative pesukarhustaan pesukarhustansa pesukarhuistaan pesukarhuistansa illative pesukarhuunsa pesukarhuihinsa adessive pesukarhullaan pesukarhullansa pesukarhuillaan pesukarhuillansa ablative pesukarhultaan pesukarhultansa pesukarhuiltaan pesukarhuiltansa allative pesukarhulleen pesukarhullensa pesukarhuilleen pesukarhuillensa essive pesukarhunaan pesukarhunansa pesukarhuinaan pesukarhuinansa translative pesukarhukseen pesukarhuksensa pesukarhuikseen pesukarhuiksensa abessive pesukarhuttaan pesukarhuttansa pesukarhuittaan pesukarhuittansa instructive — — comitative — pesukarhuineen pesukarhuinensa

Synonyms

• supi (disputed, see "Usage notes" above)

Derived terms

compounds

• pesukarhukoira

 

Further reading

• “pesukarhu”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03