peikko

From older peikkoi, from Proto-Finnic *peikoi, *peiko^[1] (reshaped later with -kko; compare Estonian peig (“bridegroom”)), deriving either from Proto-Germanic *faihaz (“hostile, criminal”), *faigijaz (“fey”), or alternatively from a lost Baltic cognate (inexact parallels include Lithuanian paikas (“stupid”), piktas (“angry, bad”), pikčius (“devil”), pikulas (“devil”)), all ultimately based on Proto-Indo-European *peyḱ- (“to mark”).^[2]

• IPA^(key): /ˈpei̯kːo/, [ˈpe̞i̯kːo̞]
• Rhymes: -eikːo
• Syllabification^(key): peik‧ko
• Hyphenation^(key): peik‧ko

peikko

1. (folklore) goblin, hobgoblin, gnome, gremlin (mythical man-like creature, often depicted hairy, tailed and mischievous)
2. troll (in modern children's literature often a good-natured forest-dwelling humanoid)
3. hobgoblin, bugbear (cause of dread, fear or apprehension)

• menninkäinen
• Pekko
• tonttu

• “peikko”, 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