nopeus

nopea (“fast, quick, rapid”) +‎ -us

• IPA^(key): /ˈnopeus/, [ˈno̞pe̞us̠]
• Rhymes: -opeus
• Syllabification^(key): no‧pe‧us
• Hyphenation^(key): no‧pe‧us

nopeus

1. (physics) velocity (vector quantity that denotes the rate of change of position with respect to time)
2. speed (state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion)

   nopeusrajoitus ― speed limit

3. swiftness, quickness, rapidity

In technical usage, such as in physics, nopeus is a vector corresponding to the English term velocity, while vauhti is a scalar quantity corresponding to the English term speed. In common language, the terms are used synonymously, but are not always interchangeable (e.g. in compounds). Generally speaking, vauhti is somewhat less formal. vauhti can also be used informally to refer to momentum.

• “nopeus”, 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 3 July 2023