() is a Finnish word meaning "evil spirit" and a popular Finnish profanity, used similarly to English "god damn", although it is considered much more profane. It is most likely the most internationally known Finnish curse word. Origins The name is of Indo-European origin; Perkwunos is the reconstructed name of the god of thunder. Some researchers consider to be an original name of the thunder god Ukko, the chief god of the Finnish pagan pantheon, but this view is not shared by all researchers. There are related words in other Finnic languages: in Estonian, means hell, in Karelian means an evil spirit. Introduction of Christianity As Finland was Christianized, the old Finnish deities were regarded as demons. This led to the use of "" as a translation for "Devil" in the Finnish translation of the Bible. Later, in other translations, the word was rendered as (the evil one). References Finnish gods Thunder gods Profanity Finnish profanity Internet memes