tarve

Tarve is a noun used in Finnish and Estonian to mean need, necessity, or demand. It describes a state of lacking something essential or desired, and it can refer to physical requirements (such as food or shelter), social needs (such as security or belonging), or market demand for goods and services. In everyday language, tarve often appears in discussions about requirements within individuals, groups, or society.

Etymology and cognates: The term is of Finno-Ugric origin, with Estonian using tarve in a closely related sense. In Finnish, tarve serves as a base for numerous compound words that express specific needs, such as perustarve (basic need), ruokatarve (need for food), and lääketarve (need for medicine). The word is a standard noun and can be inflected to express different cases and numbers.

Usage and context: In economics and policy discussions, tarve denotes a driving force behind demand and resource allocation. It is commonly contrasted with toive or halu, which refer to desires or wants rather than essential requirements. The concept underpins analyses of welfare, social provision, and basic rights. In Finnish, tarve is used across contexts from everyday conversation to formal discourse, and it forms many compounds to specify particular kinds of needs.

Examples: Tarve kasvaa kriisitilanteissa. (The need grows in crisis situations.) Perustarve on ruoka, asunto ja terveydenhuolto. (Basic needs are food, housing, and health care.) Ruokatarve voi lisääntyä taloudellisen kriisin myötä. (The need for food can increase during an economic crisis.)