riippu

Riippu is a Finnish noun with senses connected to hanging or being suspended. In everyday usage it most often refers to a pendant or hanging ornament that dangles from a chain or cord, although in jewelry the term riipus is more commonly used for the pendant itself. Beyond jewelry, riippu can denote any object or part that hangs from something else, such as a decorative element suspended from a ceiling or a component of a mechanism designed to be suspended.

The word is etymologically linked to the verb riippua, meaning to hang or to be suspended. It also has figurative use in expressions related to dependence or reliance, from which the related noun riippuvuus (“dependence” or, in a different sense, “addiction”) derives.

Riippu appears in various compound forms describing hanging or suspended things. In technical or descriptive language you may encounter phrases involving a hanging component, while in contemporary jewelry terminology riipus is typically used for the pendant itself. The usage of riippu can vary by region and style of writing, and some contexts may favor riipukoriste or other related terms.

See also: riippua, riippuvuus, riipus.