We warmly welcome you to an interactive workshop focusing on Finnish place names in North America. Where do names such as Tapiola, Paavola or Toivola come from, what do they mean and what can they tell us about the past? Are there place names in your region that you believe have a Finnish origin? Let us know, and join us with your questions! Questions about place names in Finland are also more than welcome.
We encourage you to send your questions in advance by filling out this form. We may not be able to answer every question during the workshop, but questions submitted before November 18th will have a better chance of being addressed.
Janne Saarikivi, former professor of Finno-Ugric languages at the University of Helsinki, is a well-known researcher and a prolific author of popular and scientific works on a wide variety of topics, including place names and personal names. Other specialists from Finland will also participate and join the conversation.
The workshop is organized jointly by Finlandia Foundation’s Finnish American Folk School and Sukukansojen ystävät (Friends of the Finno-Ugric Peoples), a Finnish NGO that develops cultural relations between Finno-Ugric peoples and is actively involved in the Finno-Ugric Capitals of Culture program. We look forward to seeing you there!
