muste

Muste is a Finnish noun meaning ink, the liquid pigment used to mark surfaces such as paper, parchment, or canvas. The term encompasses a range of formulations, from pigment suspensions with binders to modern inks used in writing and printing.

Historically, muste included iron gall inks and carbon-based inks. Iron gall ink, made from tannins and iron salts, was widely used for manuscripts in medieval and early modern Europe. Carbon-based inks, using soot or charcoal bound with a medium, have long served for writing and drawing in various cultures.

In Finnish today, muste remains the general term for ink in art and writing contexts. It appears in compound terms such as mustepullo (ink bottle) and mustesäiliö (ink reservoir), and it is the root of words like mustekynä (fountain pen). The word also features in educational and hobbyist settings describing inks used in calligraphy and painting.

Some modern discussions distinguish muste from other liquid pigments used in industrial printing, using more specialized terms for specific formulations and applications. Overall, muste is a broad, historical, and contemporary designation for ink across contexts in Finnish.