hylky

Hylky is a Finnish noun with multiple related meanings. In maritime usage, hylky refers to a shipwreck—the remains of a vessel that has sunk or run aground and is no longer seaworthy. Such wrecks are of interest to historians, archaeologists, divers, and salvage operators. Wrecks may lie on the seabed or in inland waterways, and their legal status can be governed by national laws concerning underwater cultural heritage, salvage rights, and protection of wreck sites. In many cases wrecks are surveyed, mapped, and sometimes protected as historical artifacts.

In a figurative or administrative sense, hylky describes something that has been rejected or discarded because it failed to meet requirements or standards. This can apply to applications, proposals, tests, or measurements. The related verb is hylätä, meaning to reject or to discard; the noun hylky refers to the rejected item or to the act of rejection.

Etymologically, hylky is a native Finnish word with senses evolving over time in both nautical and administrative language. The term is not widely used outside Finnish and is principally found in Finnish texts dealing with marine history, archaeology, or official evaluation processes.

See also: shipwreck, salvage, underwater archaeology, rejection (in Finnish context).