The Finnish Verb Nauttia

The Finnish verb nauttia ‘to enjoy’ doesn’t have any equivalent among the closest language relatives.

The stem of this verb is an old Germanic loan, with a reconstructed word stem *nautijan- ‘to possess, to enjoy’. This stem is represented in today’s Swedish verb nöta ‘to spend’, with an older meaning ‘to enjoy’.

In written language the verb nauttia has been since the XVI century.

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2 thoughts on “The Finnish Verb Nauttia”

  1. This old germanic root is undoubtedly the root of the Old Norse verb njóta, which means various things including “to have conjugal relations with someone”.

    njóta (nýt; naut, nutum; notit), v. (1) to have the use or benefit of, to enjoy (þú skalt n. kvikfjár þíns ok verða í brottu frá Helgafelli); skal hann n. draums síns, he shall have his dream out; njót þú heill handa, good luck go with your hands; (2) to derive benefit from, profit by; Egils nauztu at því, föður þíns, you had your father Egil to thank for that; lítt lætr þú mik n. frændsemi frá þér, you let me have little profit of kinship with you; nauzt þú nú þess, at ek var eigi við búinn, it was your good fortune that I was not ready for you; n. e-s við, to receive help at one’s hands; mun ek yðvar verða við at n., I shall have need of your help; n. af e-u, to consume (naut vóru œrin, nutum af stórum); (3) impers., ekki nýtr sólar, there is no sun; naut at því mest hans forellris, at, it was chiefly due to his forefathers that; þess naut mjök við í Þrándheimi (it helped greatly), at menn áttu þar mikil forn korn; (4) recipr., njótast, to enjoy each other (Þorveig seiddi til þess, at þau skyldi eigi n. mega).

    1. This old germanic root is ledoubtnduy the root of the Old Norse verb njf3ta, which means various things including to have conjugal relations with someone .njf3ta (nfdt; naut, nutum; notit), v. (1) to have the use or benefit of, to enjoy (fefa skalt n. kvikfje1r feedns ok verf0a ed brottu fre1 Helgafelli); skal hann n. draums sedns, he shall have his dream out; njf3t fefa heill handa, good luck go with your hands; (2) to derive benefit from, profit by; Egils nauztu at feved, ff6f0ur feedns, you had your father Egil to thank for that; ledtt le6tr fefa mik n. fre6ndsemi fre1 fee9r, you let me have little profit of kinship with you; nauzt fefa nfa feess, at ek var eigi vif0 bfainn, it was your good fortune that I was not ready for you; n. e-s vif0, to receive help at one’s hands; mun ek yf0var verf0a vif0 at n., I shall have need of your help; n. af e-u, to consume (naut vf3ru œrin, nutum af stf3rum); (3) impers., ekki nfdtr sf3lar, there is no sun; naut at feved mest hans forellris, at, it was chiefly due to his forefathers that; feess naut mjf6k vif0 ed dere1ndheimi (it helped greatly), at menn e1ttu fear mikil forn korn; (4) recipr., njf3tast, to enjoy each other (deorveig seiddi til feess, at feau skyldi eigi n. mega).

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