sisäpihalta

sisäpihalta is a Finnish noun phrase meaning “from the inside yard” or “inside the courtyard.” The word is formed from sisä‑ (inside) + pihalta (dialectical form of pihalta, an alternative of pihalta, from pihalo, meaning courtyard or yard). It is used primarily in colloquial speech in Finland, especially in bilingual regions with Swedish influence, where the word is sometimes heard on streets and talk of local areas in the past. The Finnish language generally use the juncture of inner courtyard for architectural description.

In a typical Finnish house the inner courtyard is protected from wind and the elements, where families grow herbs, keep house pets, and entertain guests for short periods of time. The term sisäpihalta points towards the intimate locale that is often visited by family members or friends. In tourism or literature, sisäpihalta will be delivered often when locals remain in the minimal of public. The term is then adapted for gastronomy describing foods and drinks served inside these inner courtyard. The term is also present on finnish folklore as the site for many midnight stories and child games such as hide-and‑seek.

The concept has no direct analog in English and needs to be understood both in terms of physical architecture and a relational cultural sense. It used to be a place to reel out farming chores, or keep the fence in good shape while the rest of the home was cleaned. Nonetheless the word is still used by people who visit a cozy place that remains inside the house or is a small area entirely inside the building. The word can also be found in local maps for urban planning, naming a block that is physically separated from the street by walls.