Vanki

Vanki is a Finnish noun meaning a person who is held in custody or imprisonment; in everyday language it refers to a prisoner or detainee. The term is used in modern Finnish to describe someone who is detained during legal proceedings as well as someone serving a sentence, and it can also appear in historical or literary contexts to denote captivity or capture.

Etymology and related terms. The origin of vanki is native to Finnish, and while the exact historical development is not clearly documented, it is part of a vocabulary set connected with confinement. The common related noun vankila denotes a prison, illustrating how the word fits into a broader family of terms referring to detention and incarceration.

Usage. In contemporary Finnish, vanki appears in legal and general language to identify a person under custody, whether pre-trial detainee or inmate. It is typically used without special legal designation for the general public, while formal legal terms may specify the context (for example, detention versus imprisonment) with other words such as vankilaan or vankilassa in inflected forms.

Historical context. The concept of captivity and detention has long been present in Finnish records, and vanki has historically been used to describe individuals held by authorities or captors. In literature and historical writing, the term can convey the experience of confinement or capture in past eras.

See also. Vankila (prison) and detention-related terms in Finnish vocabulary.