raukous

Raukous is a Finnish noun meaning lamentation or wailing. It denotes the act or state of expressing sorrow, usually aloud, and is used primarily in literary, religious, or historical contexts. In everyday language, it is relatively rare and often replaced by valitus (lament) or suru (grief).

Usage and nuance: Raukous tends to describe communal or ritual expressions of sorrow, such as those found in hymns, funeral orations, or epic poetry. It is distinct from rukous, the word for prayer, though both may appear in the same religious texts to convey sorrow and supplication.

Cultural and literary context: The term is mainly found in older Finnish prose and poetry, as well as in translations of biblical laments and in analysis of Finnish lament traditions. In modern Finnish, raukous is mostly a literary or scholarly term rather than a common everyday expression.

See also: Lament, mourning, elegy; Finnish words valitus (lament) and rukous (prayer).