nuorukainen

Nuorukainen is a Finnish noun meaning a young man or youth. It is chiefly a literary or historical term, used to describe male youths in narratives, epics, or folklore. In contemporary spoken Finnish, the term is uncommon and adults would typically say nuori or nuori mies.

Etymology: The word is formed from nuori “young” with the suffix -kainen, a derivational pattern found in older Finnish to designate a person associated with a quality or state.

Usage and connotations: Nuorukainen often conveys vigor, adventure, or idealism associated with youth, and it can also imply inexperience depending on context. It is considered archaic or formal and tends to appear in poetry, classical prose, or translations of older texts rather than everyday speech.

See also: Nuori; Nuorimies; Finnish literature.