värinä

Värinä is a Finnish noun meaning vibration or tremor. In physics and engineering, it denotes the periodic or oscillatory motion of a body around an equilibrium position. In everyday language, it can also describe a shiver or a tremor in living beings, for example due to cold or emotion. The term is used across disciplines to refer to both intentional vibrations in devices and unwanted motions that may affect structures or machinery.

Types and phenomena include mechanical vibrations that can be free or forced, and damped or undamped. Structural vibrations involve buildings, bridges, and machines, while seismic tremor refers to small ground motions during earthquakes. Physiological tremor is a low-amplitude tremor observed in healthy individuals, and pathological tremors occur in neurological disorders. Acoustic and ultrasonic vibrations describe oscillations in sound-generating media and related media.

Measurement and analysis rely on quantifying frequency (hertz), amplitude (displacement or velocity), and acceleration (meters per second squared). Tools such as accelerometers, laser vibrometers, and seismographs are used to record vibrations. Vibration analysis and condition monitoring aim to detect faults, optimize design, and reduce noise and wear. Techniques like vibration isolation and dampening are employed to minimize unwanted motion and its effects on structures and equipment.

See also: oscillation, tremor, vibration analysis, vibration isolation, seismology, vibrometry. Etymology: derived from the Finnish verb väristä “to shake” and related forms.