Puhelu

Puhelu is a Finnish noun meaning a call, especially a voice-based communication between people who are not in the same location. It is commonly used to refer to telephone calls, but it can also denote other forms of remote voice communication, such as a voice call over the internet. In everyday language, puhelu describes both the act of calling and the conversation on the line, and it can be used in various grammatical forms, for example “Puhelu katkesi” (the call dropped) or “Minulla on puhelu” (I have a call).

Etymology: The word is derived from the verb puhua, to speak, with the noun-forming suffix -lu, forming a noun that denotes the act or result of speaking.

Usage: Puhelu is used for both personal and professional contexts. Modern Finnish distinguishes videopuhelu for video calls and äänipuhelu for voice-only calls; in many contexts puhelu is understood to be a voice call on a telephone or a digital network. The term can also appear in compound terms related to communications technology or customer service, such as puhelin (telephone) and puhelinpalvelu (phone service).

See also: Puhelin, Videopuhelu, Puhelinverkko, Puhelinpalvelu.