muija

Finnish

Etymology

According to one theory, from dialectal Swedish mója (compare moja sig). First mentioned in a dictionary in 1786 as muuja, in its current form in 1823. This may however be borrowed from Finnish due to its narrow distribution. Another, and more likely, option is a borrowing from Swedish mor in the same way as faija from Swedish far.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmui̯jɑ/, [ˈmui̯j(ː)ɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -uijɑ
• Syllabification^(key): mui‧ja

Noun

muija

1. (informal, possibly derogatory) young woman, chick

   Synonyms: mimmi, ämmä, tipu, kissa, kimuli

2. (informal, possibly derogatory) old woman, woman

   Synonyms: akka, eukko, ämmä

3. (colloquial, possibly derogatory) wife, girlfriend

   Synonyms: nainen, (wife) vaimo, eukko, (girlfriend) tyttöystävä, tyttökaveri

Usage notes

In certain registers the word has come to be regarded as vulgar or even offensive. This does not, however, apply to all dialects or registers, contemporary nor historic.

Declension

Inflection of muija (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
nominative		muija	muijat
genitive		muijan	muijien
partitive		muijaa	muijia
illative		muijaan	muijiin
		singular	plural
nominative		muija	muijat
accusative	nom.	muija	muijat
	gen.	muijan
genitive		muijan	muijien muijainrare
partitive		muijaa	muijia
inessive		muijassa	muijissa
elative		muijasta	muijista
illative		muijaan	muijiin
adessive		muijalla	muijilla
ablative		muijalta	muijilta
allative		muijalle	muijille
essive		muijana	muijina
translative		muijaksi	muijiksi
abessive		muijatta	muijitta
instructive		—	muijin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of muija (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative muijani muijani accusative nom. muijani muijani gen. muijani genitive muijani muijieni muijainirare partitive muijaani muijiani inessive muijassani muijissani elative muijastani muijistani illative muijaani muijiini adessive muijallani muijillani ablative muijaltani muijiltani allative muijalleni muijilleni essive muijanani muijinani translative muijakseni muijikseni abessive muijattani muijittani instructive — — comitative — muijineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative muijasi muijasi accusative nom. muijasi muijasi gen. muijasi genitive muijasi muijiesi muijaisirare partitive muijaasi muijiasi inessive muijassasi muijissasi elative muijastasi muijistasi illative muijaasi muijiisi adessive muijallasi muijillasi ablative muijaltasi muijiltasi allative muijallesi muijillesi essive muijanasi muijinasi translative muijaksesi muijiksesi abessive muijattasi muijittasi instructive — — comitative — muijinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative muijamme muijamme accusative nom. muijamme muijamme gen. muijamme genitive muijamme muijiemme muijaimmerare partitive muijaamme muijiamme inessive muijassamme muijissamme elative muijastamme muijistamme illative muijaamme muijiimme adessive muijallamme muijillamme ablative muijaltamme muijiltamme allative muijallemme muijillemme essive muijanamme muijinamme translative muijaksemme muijiksemme abessive muijattamme muijittamme instructive — — comitative — muijinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative muijanne muijanne accusative nom. muijanne muijanne gen. muijanne genitive muijanne muijienne muijainnerare partitive muijaanne muijianne inessive muijassanne muijissanne elative muijastanne muijistanne illative muijaanne muijiinne adessive muijallanne muijillanne ablative muijaltanne muijiltanne allative muijallenne muijillenne essive muijananne muijinanne translative muijaksenne muijiksenne abessive muijattanne muijittanne instructive — — comitative — muijinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative muijansa muijansa accusative nom. muijansa muijansa gen. muijansa genitive muijansa muijiensa muijainsarare partitive muijaansa muijiaan muijiansa inessive muijassaan muijassansa muijissaan muijissansa elative muijastaan muijastansa muijistaan muijistansa illative muijaansa muijiinsa adessive muijallaan muijallansa muijillaan muijillansa ablative muijaltaan muijaltansa muijiltaan muijiltansa allative muijalleen muijallensa muijilleen muijillensa essive muijanaan muijanansa muijinaan muijinansa translative muijakseen muijaksensa muijikseen muijiksensa abessive muijattaan muijattansa muijittaan muijittansa instructive — — comitative — muijineen muijinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• mustalaismuija
• mökinmuija
• pyykkimuija
• torimuija
• torpanmuija

Further reading

• “muija”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (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

• Maiju, imuja