Aunus

Finnish Olonets Etymology fi. Cognate with olo Anus. Some old attestations suggest may have originally been closer to fi *Agnis or fi *Agnus: fi Agnismaa (1587), fi Agnesma (1612), fi Augnisma (1657), but also compare fi Auniszmaa (1590).fi 1894 A. H. Snellman Itämeren suomalaiset itsenäisyytensä aikana Länsisuomalaiset kansat liettualaislättiläisten ja gootilaisten kosketusten aikana 5 Theories include: Possibly from a lost anthroponym. Some older forms seem to support an original -l- (e.g. orv Алоньсь), in which case the name may be from an earlier form like fi *alanus (meaning something like lowland, seemingly supported by the topography of Olonets), perhaps from fi vep - which is known for l-vocalization (l > u) after some vowels.ru Керт Г.М. Мамонтова Н.Н. Загадки карельской топонимики: рассказ о географических названиях Карелии 1976 70–71 A connection with fi Ounasjoki (and thus a possible fi smi origin) has also been proposed. Yet another fi smi origin proposed is from a form like smi-pro *oalōnčē (smi-pro *ōlōnčē), derived from smi-pro *oalē, in this case originally a name for the river.ru Д. В. Кузьмин О начальном этапе формирования ойконимии Южной Карелии И. П. Новак Бубриховские чтения: задокументированное народное слово 2020 105–106 As usual with such names, a substrate origin is also possible. Pronunciation Proper noun Olonets town in NW Russia, the oldest documented settlement in Karelia fi J. Alfred Tanner Miten Aunuksessa kaikki on niin vot-vot-vot J. Alfred Tanner 1911 Aunuksessa kaikki on niin vot-vot-vot,kun pussissa piisaapi vaan kolikot. Everything is so "vot-vot-vot" (=great) in Olonetsas coins just suffice in the bag. Declension Aunu a sg Derived terms fi aunus fi compounds aunuksenkarjala karjala-aunus References Anagrams fi ansuu suuna