Karkaisu

Karkaisu is a Finnish term that denotes banishment, expulsion, or exile. It describes the act or condition of forcing a person to leave a territory, an institution, or a group. The term can be used in both legal contexts and in social or literary discussion to refer to removal or exclusion.

Etymology and usage: Karkaisu derives from the verb karkottaa, meaning “to drive away” or “to banish.” The word is historically linked to exile in statutes and chronicles, and it appears in older texts to describe political or punitive measures that remove someone from a community or region. In contemporary Finnish, karkaisu is less common in official legal language, where karkotus (deportation) or karkoittaminen are typically used for state-managed removals. In everyday language or literature, karkaisu may still be used to convey exile or social ostracism, though more precise terms may be preferred depending on the context.

Context and scope: The concept of karkaisu encompasses both formal removals by authorities and informal or social expulsions. In legal frameworks, deportation or expulsion is usually described with specific terms such as karkotus, whereas karkaisu can function as a broader or historical descriptor. In institutional settings (schools, clubs), expulsions are commonly described with terms like erottaminen or removal from membership, with karkaisu appearing primarily in descriptive or historical narratives.

See also: karkottaa, karkotus, deportation, expulsion, ostracism, exile.