huuto

Huuto is a Finnish noun meaning a loud vocal expression, such as a shout, cry, or scream. It can describe both urgent calls for help and more general emotional outbursts, including anger, fear, or joy. In translation, huuto is often rendered as “cry,” “shout,” or “outcry,” depending on the context. The related verb is huutaa, to shout, and huuto is formed from this verb with the common noun-forming suffix -o.

In everyday Finnish, huuto appears in a range of contexts. It can denote a single vocalization, as in a shout heard during a moment of surprise or alarm, or stand for a collective cry, such as public outcry or demand. The word also appears in compounds where the notion of shouting is central. A well-known example is huutokauppa, meaning auction, a term historically tied to bidding cries.

Nuanced uses of huuto include its metaphorical employment in journalism, politics, and literature to indicate a public demand for action or a strong reaction to events. In these contexts, huuto conveys the sense of vocal insistence or mass attention rather than a literal sound. The term thus bridges everyday sound-description and broader social or emotional significance.

See also: huutaa, to shout; outcry (as an English translation for certain contexts).