Laukaisu

Laukaisu is a Finnish noun that denotes the act of triggering or releasing a mechanism. The primary sense is the firing of a firearm, i.e., the discharge that occurs when the trigger is actuated. Beyond weapons, laukaisu is used for the activation of any device or system, such as an alarm, safety mechanism, or automated process.

In everyday and technical language, laukaisu can refer to the moment a process starts as a result of a triggering condition. It is commonly used in discussions of events that initiate a sequence or chain reaction, and in technology to describe trigger conditions that start actions in control systems, automation, software, or data processing.

Etymology and related terms: laukaista is the verb meaning to trigger or discharge, from which the noun laukaissu(n) is formed. Related terms include laukaus, meaning a shot or gunfire, and various compound forms that describe the moment or mechanism of discharge.

Usage notes: Laukaisu functions as a neutral term appropriate for both literal firearm discharge and broader, non-weapon contexts where an event or action is initiated by a trigger. In technical Finnish, the concept is often tied to “trigger” as a general software or systems concept and translated accordingly in specialized texts.