sisu

See also: sišu, Sisu, and si꞉su

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Finnish sisu, documented in English since at least 1940.

Pronunciation

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪsʉː/

Noun

sisu (uncountable)

1. Strength of will in the face of adversity; grit; perseverance; regarded as an integral part of Finnish culture.
   • 1940 January 8, “Northern Theatre:Sisu”, in Time Magazine:

     Last week the Finns gave the world a good example of sisu by carrying the war into Russian territory on one front while on another they withstood merciless attacks by a reinforced Russian Army.

   • 1999, Norma J. Livo, George O. Livo, The Enchanted Wood and Other Tales from Finland, →ISBN, page 5:

     People living in northern climates need plenty of sisu.

   • 2016, Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, →ISBN:

     We agreed there was a pressing need for a systematic investigation of sisu, how Finns think about it, how it is propagated.

   • 2016, Katie Falkowski, GRIND: Greatness Rises in Each New Day: Get up, Show up, and Grind, →ISBN:

     Life requires all of us to have a certain level of sisu when things get tough, which they inevitably will.

See also

• sumud (similar Palestinian concept)

References

• http://www.finlandia.edu/
• http://www.sisugrp.com/sisuis.htm

Anagrams

• Sius

Estonian

Etymology

From sise- +‎ -u. Cognate with Finnish sisu.

Noun

sisu (genitive sisu, partitive sisu)

1. content, something that is inside

Declension

Declension of sisu (ÕS type 17/elu, no gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		sisu	sisud
accusative	nom.
	gen.	sisu
genitive			sisude
partitive		sisu	sisusid
illative		sissu sisusse	sisudesse
inessive		sisus	sisudes
elative		sisust	sisudest
allative		sisule	sisudele
adessive		sisul	sisudel
ablative		sisult	sisudelt
translative		sisuks	sisudeks
terminative		sisuni	sisudeni
essive		sisuna	sisudena
abessive		sisuta	sisudeta
comitative		sisuga	sisudega

Derived terms

• sisustus
• sisukas

Finnish

FWOTD – 6 December 2016

Etymology

From sisä- (“inner”) +‎ -u. Originally referred to one's physical interior (compare sisus, sisusta), hence the meaning 'core; spirit' and thus 'courage, determination'. Compare Estonian sisu (“content”) and the development of English guts.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsisu/, [ˈs̠is̠u]
• Rhymes: -isu
• Syllabification^(key): si‧su

Noun

sisu

1. perseverance, doggedness, stubbornness, grit, stamina, spunk, determination, courage, guts (unwavering strength to keep going when the going gets tough)

   Voimamme olivat aivan lopussa, mutta jatkoimme pelkällä sisulla.

   We were completely exhausted but continued out of pure determination / to spite fate.

   Hänellä on paljon sisua. Luulen, että hän jaksaa siksi juosta pitkään.’’

   He has a lot of stamina. I suppose that is why he can run for a long time.

   Onko sinulla sisua sanoa "ei" pomollesi?

   Do you have the guts to say "no" to your boss?

2. sisu, often with the attribute suomalainen (“Finnish”) (strength of will in the face of adversity; grit; perseverance; regarded as an integral part of Finnish culture)
   • 2011, Onni Palaste, Talvisodan ääniä [Voices of the Winter War], WSOY, →ISBN:

     Kymmenkertaisella jalkaväen ylivoimalla, kymmenkertaisen tykistömäärän tukemana ja 150 hyökkäysvaunun voimalla vihollinen avasi tietä jalkaväelle, vastassaan vain suomalainen sisu.

     With tenfold superiority in number of troops, backed with a tenfold amount of artillery and with a force of 150 tanks, the enemy opened the passage for its infantry, opposed only by the famous Finnish sisu.

   • 1967, Jörn Donner, Uusi Maammekirja, Otava, page 54:

     En tiedä, kuka ja ketkä ovat vastuussa siitä, että Suomen saavutusten uskotaan olevan sisun aikaansaannosta. Sotakorvauksia on pidetty sellaisena, mutta myös 1950—60 -lukujen vaihteessa tapahtunutta teollisuuden laajentumista. Haluan varoittaa sinua: kaikki tämä on pelkkää myyttiä, jolla ei ole mitään tekemistä todellisuuden kanssa. Kestävyys ei ole tässä maassa sen suurempaa kuin muuallakaan.

     I don't know who is responsible for the idea that all Finnish achievements are believed to be due to the famous Finnish sisu. These have included the payment of war reparations, but also the expansion of industry that took place at the turn 1950s and 1960s. I want to warn you: all this is a mere myth, which has nothing to do with reality. Perseverance isn't any greater in this country than elsewhere.

3. temper (tendency to be of a certain type of mood, especially of a bad or defiant one)

   Komentelu kävi hänen sisulleen.

   The bossing tried his temper.

   • 1776, Biblia, se on: koko Pyhä Raamattu suomexi [The Bible, i.e. the entire Holy Bible in Finnish], Ensimäinen Samuelin kirja (1 Samuel) 17:28:

     Minä tiedän sinun ylpeytes ja sydämes pahan sisun

     I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart

Declension

Inflection of sisu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		sisu	sisut
genitive		sisun	sisujen
partitive		sisua	sisuja
illative		sisuun	sisuihin
		singular	plural
nominative		sisu	sisut
accusative	nom.	sisu	sisut
	gen.	sisun
genitive		sisun	sisujen
partitive		sisua	sisuja
inessive		sisussa	sisuissa
elative		sisusta	sisuista
illative		sisuun	sisuihin
adessive		sisulla	sisuilla
ablative		sisulta	sisuilta
allative		sisulle	sisuille
essive		sisuna	sisuina
translative		sisuksi	sisuiksi
abessive		sisutta	sisuitta
instructive		—	sisuin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of sisu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative sisuni sisuni accusative nom. sisuni sisuni gen. sisuni genitive sisuni sisujeni partitive sisuani sisujani inessive sisussani sisuissani elative sisustani sisuistani illative sisuuni sisuihini adessive sisullani sisuillani ablative sisultani sisuiltani allative sisulleni sisuilleni essive sisunani sisuinani translative sisukseni sisuikseni abessive sisuttani sisuittani instructive — — comitative — sisuineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative sisusi sisusi accusative nom. sisusi sisusi gen. sisusi genitive sisusi sisujesi partitive sisuasi sisujasi inessive sisussasi sisuissasi elative sisustasi sisuistasi illative sisuusi sisuihisi adessive sisullasi sisuillasi ablative sisultasi sisuiltasi allative sisullesi sisuillesi essive sisunasi sisuinasi translative sisuksesi sisuiksesi abessive sisuttasi sisuittasi instructive — — comitative — sisuinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative sisumme sisumme accusative nom. sisumme sisumme gen. sisumme genitive sisumme sisujemme partitive sisuamme sisujamme inessive sisussamme sisuissamme elative sisustamme sisuistamme illative sisuumme sisuihimme adessive sisullamme sisuillamme ablative sisultamme sisuiltamme allative sisullemme sisuillemme essive sisunamme sisuinamme translative sisuksemme sisuiksemme abessive sisuttamme sisuittamme instructive — — comitative — sisuinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative sisunne sisunne accusative nom. sisunne sisunne gen. sisunne genitive sisunne sisujenne partitive sisuanne sisujanne inessive sisussanne sisuissanne elative sisustanne sisuistanne illative sisuunne sisuihinne adessive sisullanne sisuillanne ablative sisultanne sisuiltanne allative sisullenne sisuillenne essive sisunanne sisuinanne translative sisuksenne sisuiksenne abessive sisuttanne sisuittanne instructive — — comitative — sisuinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative sisunsa sisunsa accusative nom. sisunsa sisunsa gen. sisunsa genitive sisunsa sisujensa partitive sisuaan sisuansa sisujaan sisujansa inessive sisussaan sisussansa sisuissaan sisuissansa elative sisustaan sisustansa sisuistaan sisuistansa illative sisuunsa sisuihinsa adessive sisullaan sisullansa sisuillaan sisuillansa ablative sisultaan sisultansa sisuiltaan sisuiltansa allative sisulleen sisullensa sisuilleen sisuillensa essive sisunaan sisunansa sisuinaan sisuinansa translative sisukseen sisuksensa sisuikseen sisuiksensa abessive sisuttaan sisuttansa sisuittaan sisuittansa instructive — — comitative — sisuineen sisuinensa

Synonyms

• (perseverance, doggedness, grit): peräänantamattomuus, lannistumattomuus, sinnikkyys, tahdonvoima

Derived terms

• sisuinen
• sisukas
• sisuuntua

 

compounds

• pahansisuinen
• sisukimppu
• sisunnäyte
• sisunpurkaus
• sisupartio
• sisupartiolainen
• sisupussi

 

Further reading

• “sisu”, 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 2023-07-03

Anagrams

• Susi, suis, susi

Kavalan

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *susu.

Noun

sisu

1. (anatomy) breast

Kilivila

Verb

-sisu-

1. to live
2. to exist, to be

Idioms

• asisu yam
• kusisu, bala

Lala (South Africa)

Noun

sísu

1. belly, stomach

Phuthi

Noun

sísu class 7 (plural tísu class 8)

1. stomach

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Spanish

Noun

sisu m

1. sissoo

Swazi

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

sísu class 7 (plural tísu class 8)

1. stomach
2. pregnancy

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.