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Heikki Paasonen

1865 – 1919

Finnish linguist

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About Heikki Paasonen

Lived 1865 – 1919 (aged 54). Heikki Paasonen was a Finnish linguist and ethnologist, known for Turkology.

Heikki Antinpoika Paasonen (2 January 1865 – 24 August 1919) was a Finnish linguist and ethnographer best known for his research in the linguistics and folklore of the Mokshas and the Erzyas during his two research trips to Russia. His studies include works on Chuvash, Mishar Tatar, Meadow Mari and Khanty languages, which led to further discoveries in Finno-Ugric and Turkic studies.

Biography Paasonen was born in Mikkeli, the son of the merchants Anders Paasonen and Fredrika Matiskainen. He became a student at the Swedish-language lyceum in Mikkeli in 1881 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1888 and worked from the following year until 1890 as a researcher with the Mokshas and Erzyas. The subject of his dissertation in 1893 was Mordvinic phonetics. In 1894, Paasonen became a Doctor of Primus and Docent of Finno-Ugric Linguistics. Paasonen made research trips to the Finno-Ugric peoples, including Hungary, collecting linguistic and ethnographic material. In 1902 he became the Chief Inspector of the School Board, and professor of Finno-Ugric linguistics at the University of Helsinki from 1904 to 1919.

Paasonen's research and collections were published quite extensively, many of them after his death. The collection Mordwinische Volkslieder I-IV was published by Paavo Ravila from 1938 to 1947, and the dialect dictionary of Mordvinic languages based on Paasonen's materials, H. Paasonens Mordwinisches Wörterbuch was edited since the 1930s and finally published in 1990 to 1996; it became the basis of lexicological research in these languages. His collections of Khanty were published as a 1926 dictionary and a series of five text collections from 1980 to 2001, edited by Kai Donner and Edith Vértes, respectively; his Mari materials in 1939 edited by Paavo Siro; his Chuvash materials in 1948 edited by E. Karahka and Martti Räsänen.

Family Paasonen's spouse since 1894 was Hungarian-born Mariska Paskay de Palásth . Colonel Aladár Paasonen was their son. Their other children were Maria Aranka Gizela, Arvid and Ilona Anna. He died in Helsinki in 1919.

Works Heikki Paasonen. Matkakertomus mordvalaisten maalta, SUSA XVII, 3. Helsinki 1890 Heikki Paasonen. Die Türkischen Lehnwörter im Mordwinischen. Helsingfors, 1897 Heikki Paasonen. Mordvinische Lautlehre. Helsingfors, Druckerei der Finnischen Litteraturgesellschaft, 1903 Heikki Paasonen. Die finnisch-ugrischen s-laute. Helsinki, Société finno-ougrienne, 1918 Heikki Paasonen. Beiträge zur Aufhellung der Frage nach der Urheimat der finnisch-ugrischen Völker. Turku, Turun Suomalaisen Yliopiston Kustantama, 1923 Heikki Paasonen; Kai Donner. Ostjakisches Wörterbuch, nach den Dialekten an der Konda und am Jugan. Helsingfors, Société finno-ougrienne, 1926 Heikki Paasonen. Mordvalaiset, Suomen suku II. Helsinki 1928 Heikki Paasonen; M E Evsevʹev; Mordwinische Volksdichtung. Helsinki, Suomalais-ugrilainen Seura, 1938–1981 Heikki Paasonen. H. Paasonens Ost-Tscheremissisches Wörterbuch. Helsinki, Suomalais-ugrilainen Seura, 1948 Heikki Paasonen. Eino Karahka; Martti Räsänen. Gebräuche und Volksdichtung der Tschuwassen. Helsinki, Suomalais-ugrilainen Seura, 1949. Heikki Paasonen. Çuvaş sözlüğü. İstanbul : İbrahim Horoz Basımevi, 1950. Heikki Paasonen. Mordwinische Chrestomathie mit Glossar und grammatikalischem Abriss. Helsinki, Suomalais-ugrilainen Seura, 1953 Heikki Paasonen. Eino Karahka. Mischärtatarische Volksdichtung. Helsinki, Suomalais-ugrilainen Seura, 1953 Heikki Paasonen; T Janurik. Tschuwaschisches Wörterverzeichnis. Szeged: Universitas Szegediensis de Attila József Nominata, 1974 Heikki Paasonen; Kaino Heikkilä; Paavo Ravila; Martti Kahla. Mordwinische Volksdichtung Bd. 5. Helsinki, Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura 1977 Mordwinische Volksdichtung. Gesammelt von Ignatij Zorin, Durchgesehen u. transkribiert von Heikki Paasonen, übers. von Kaino Heikkilä u. Paavo Ravila, Herausgeg von Martti Kahla. V. Band. SUST 161. Helsinki 1977, Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura. Mordwinische Volksdichtung. Gesammelt on Ignatij Zorin, Durchgesehen u. transkribiert von Heikki Paasonen, übers. von Kaino Heikkilä u. Paavo Ravila, Herausgeg von Martti Kahla. VI. Band. SUST 162. Helsinki 1977, Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura. Heikki Paasonen. Edith Vértes. H. Paasonens südostjakische Textsammlungen. Helsinki, Suomalais-ugrilainen Seura, 1980 Heikki Paasonen; Kaino Heikkilä; Hans-Hermann Bartens; A P Feoktistov; G I Ermushkin; Martti Kahla. H. Paasonens Mordwinisches Wörterbuch. Helsinki, Suomalais-ugrilainen seura, 1990–1996 Heikki Paasonen; Edith Vértes. H. Paasonens surgutostjakische Textsammlungen am Jugan. Helsinki, Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, 2001

Literature Федотов М. Р. Исследователи чувашского языка / М.Р. Федотов. — 2. изд., доп. — Чебоксары, 2000. —

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Known for
Turkology
Education
University of Helsinki
Employers
University of Helsinki
Also known as
Heikki Antinpoika Paasonen

Family & relationships

Child
Aladár Paasonen

People in Heikki Paasonen's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Heikki Paasonen's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Heikki Paasonen?

Finnish linguist (1865–1919)

When was Heikki Paasonen born?

Heikki Paasonen was born on 2 January 1865 in Mikkeli.

When did Heikki Paasonen die?

Heikki Paasonen died on 24 August 1919 in Helsinki.

What was Heikki Paasonen's occupation?

Heikki Paasonen was a linguist and ethnologist.

What was Heikki Paasonen known for?

Heikki Paasonen was known for Turkology.

What nationality was Heikki Paasonen?

Heikki Paasonen was Finnish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Heikki Paasonen

· Wikidata: Q2997326

· DBpedia: Heikki Paasonen (linguist)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Heikki Paasonen. https://biography.guide/heikki-paasonen-linguist/

MLA: "Heikki Paasonen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/heikki-paasonen-linguist/.

Chicago: "Heikki Paasonen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/heikki-paasonen-linguist/.

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