Tapio

See also: tapio and tapió

Finnish

FWOTD – 5 June 2015

Etymology

According to Saarikivi (2022), from tavata (dialectally also "to catch, reach") +‎ -io, and thus as a name for a god of the hunt. The name has also been connected with Estonian taba (“padlock”) and Livonian tabā (“padlock”) (both connected with respective cognates of tavata), hinting at a theoretical noun *tapa (“trap”) (not attested in Finnish), which could have served as the direct etymon. Koivulehto took a different view, likewise connecting the word with tavata, but instead citing a Germanic comparandum, Proto-Germanic *gadōbiz (whence Old English gedēfe), proposing it as evidence of a semantic shift within Finnic (parallel to the development of Mielikki) through a sense like "lenient, amenable".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑpio/, [ˈt̪ɑ̝pio̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑpio
• Hyphenation^(key): Ta‧pio

Proper noun

Tapio

1. (Finnic mythology) The god of forest.
   • 1849 Kalevala (Translation 1988 by Eino Friberg) 46:53-56:

     Ota, metsä, miehiksesi, / Urohiksesi, Tapio! / Auta onni ottamahan, / Metsän kaunis kaatamahan!

     Now receive me as your man, / One of your own people, Tapio. / Give me luck, good hunting give me / For the bear, that forest beauty.

2. a male given name
3. a Finnish surname transferred from the given name

Usage notes

• Revived as a given name in the 19th century. A popular middle name since early 20th century.

Declension

Inflection of Tapio (Kotus type 3/valtio, no gradation)
nominative		Tapio	Tapiot
genitive		Tapion	Tapioiden Tapioitten
partitive		Tapiota	Tapioita
illative		Tapioon	Tapioihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Tapio	Tapiot
accusative	nom.	Tapio	Tapiot
	gen.	Tapion
genitive		Tapion	Tapioiden Tapioitten
partitive		Tapiota	Tapioita
inessive		Tapiossa	Tapioissa
elative		Tapiosta	Tapioista
illative		Tapioon	Tapioihin
adessive		Tapiolla	Tapioilla
ablative		Tapiolta	Tapioilta
allative		Tapiolle	Tapioille
essive		Tapiona	Tapioina
translative		Tapioksi	Tapioiksi
abessive		Tapiotta	Tapioitta
instructive		—	Tapioin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Tapio (Kotus type 3/valtio, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Tapioni Tapioni accusative nom. Tapioni Tapioni gen. Tapioni genitive Tapioni Tapioideni Tapioitteni partitive Tapiotani Tapioitani inessive Tapiossani Tapioissani elative Tapiostani Tapioistani illative Tapiooni Tapioihini adessive Tapiollani Tapioillani ablative Tapioltani Tapioiltani allative Tapiolleni Tapioilleni essive Tapionani Tapioinani translative Tapiokseni Tapioikseni abessive Tapiottani Tapioittani instructive — — comitative — Tapioineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Tapiosi Tapiosi accusative nom. Tapiosi Tapiosi gen. Tapiosi genitive Tapiosi Tapioidesi Tapioittesi partitive Tapiotasi Tapioitasi inessive Tapiossasi Tapioissasi elative Tapiostasi Tapioistasi illative Tapioosi Tapioihisi adessive Tapiollasi Tapioillasi ablative Tapioltasi Tapioiltasi allative Tapiollesi Tapioillesi essive Tapionasi Tapioinasi translative Tapioksesi Tapioiksesi abessive Tapiottasi Tapioittasi instructive — — comitative — Tapioinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Tapiomme Tapiomme accusative nom. Tapiomme Tapiomme gen. Tapiomme genitive Tapiomme Tapioidemme Tapioittemme partitive Tapiotamme Tapioitamme inessive Tapiossamme Tapioissamme elative Tapiostamme Tapioistamme illative Tapioomme Tapioihimme adessive Tapiollamme Tapioillamme ablative Tapioltamme Tapioiltamme allative Tapiollemme Tapioillemme essive Tapionamme Tapioinamme translative Tapioksemme Tapioiksemme abessive Tapiottamme Tapioittamme instructive — — comitative — Tapioinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Tapionne Tapionne accusative nom. Tapionne Tapionne gen. Tapionne genitive Tapionne Tapioidenne Tapioittenne partitive Tapiotanne Tapioitanne inessive Tapiossanne Tapioissanne elative Tapiostanne Tapioistanne illative Tapioonne Tapioihinne adessive Tapiollanne Tapioillanne ablative Tapioltanne Tapioiltanne allative Tapiollenne Tapioillenne essive Tapionanne Tapioinanne translative Tapioksenne Tapioiksenne abessive Tapiottanne Tapioittanne instructive — — comitative — Tapioinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Tapionsa Tapionsa accusative nom. Tapionsa Tapionsa gen. Tapionsa genitive Tapionsa Tapioidensa Tapioittensa partitive Tapiotaan Tapiotansa Tapioitaan Tapioitansa inessive Tapiossaan Tapiossansa Tapioissaan Tapioissansa elative Tapiostaan Tapiostansa Tapioistaan Tapioistansa illative Tapioonsa Tapioihinsa adessive Tapiollaan Tapiollansa Tapioillaan Tapioillansa ablative Tapioltaan Tapioltansa Tapioiltaan Tapioiltansa allative Tapiolleen Tapiollensa Tapioilleen Tapioillensa essive Tapionaan Tapionansa Tapioinaan Tapioinansa translative Tapiokseen Tapioksensa Tapioikseen Tapioiksensa abessive Tapiottaan Tapiottansa Tapioittaan Tapioittansa instructive — — comitative — Tapioineen Tapioinensa

Derived terms

• tapiola
• Tapiola
• tapionherkkusieni
• tapionpöytä

 

Statistics

• Tapio is the 76^th most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 9,399 male individuals (and as a middle name to 104,648 more, making it more common as a middle name), and also belongs as a middle name to 13 female individuals, according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.
• Tapio is the 484^th most common surname in Finland, belonging to 1,733 individuals, according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• apoit, opita, patio, pitoa