# pesukarhu
## Finnish
### Etymology

Compound of pesu (“washing”) +‎ karhu (“bear”); calque of Swedish tvättbjörn and German Waschbär (“raccoon”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpesuˌkɑrhu/, [ˈpe̞s̠uˌkɑ̝rhu]
* Rhymes: -ɑrhu
* Hyphenation: pesu‧karhu

### Noun

pesukarhu
* raccoon, Procyon lotor
* raccoon (any species in the genus Procyon)

#### Usage notes

A working group for naming mammals proposed in 2008 that the raccoon be named supi in Finnish because a) all other species in the genus have supi in their name (although the genus is called pesukarhut), b) the raccoon is not a karhu (“bear”), and c) the term supi has been used for raccoon fur in Finland and for the animal by Finnish Americans. Opponents claim that this proposed change would be confusing because the term pesukarhu is unambiguous and raccoon dog is supikoira in Finnish and is often called supi in colloquial speech. As a result, supi has not gained popularity as the Finnish name for the raccoon.

#### Declension

Possessive forms of pesukarhu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
pesukarhuni
pesukarhuni
accusative
nom.
pesukarhuni
pesukarhuni
gen.
pesukarhuni
genitive
pesukarhuni
pesukarhujeni
partitive
pesukarhuani
pesukarhujani
inessive
pesukarhussani
pesukarhuissani
elative
pesukarhustani
pesukarhuistani
illative
pesukarhuuni
pesukarhuihini
adessive
pesukarhullani
pesukarhuillani
ablative
pesukarhultani
pesukarhuiltani
allative
pesukarhulleni
pesukarhuilleni
essive
pesukarhunani
pesukarhuinani
translative
pesukarhukseni
pesukarhuikseni
abessive
pesukarhuttani
pesukarhuittani
instructive
comitative
—pesukarhuineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
pesukarhusi
pesukarhusi
accusative
nom.
pesukarhusi
pesukarhusi
gen.
pesukarhusi
genitive
pesukarhusi
pesukarhujesi
partitive
pesukarhuasi
pesukarhujasi
inessive
pesukarhussasi
pesukarhuissasi
elative
pesukarhustasi
pesukarhuistasi
illative
pesukarhuusi
pesukarhuihisi
adessive
pesukarhullasi
pesukarhuillasi
ablative
pesukarhultasi
pesukarhuiltasi
allative
pesukarhullesi
pesukarhuillesi
essive
pesukarhunasi
pesukarhuinasi
translative
pesukarhuksesi
pesukarhuiksesi
abessive
pesukarhuttasi
pesukarhuittasi
instructive
comitative
—pesukarhuinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
pesukarhumme
pesukarhumme
accusative
nom.
pesukarhumme
pesukarhumme
gen.
pesukarhumme
genitive
pesukarhumme
pesukarhujemme
partitive
pesukarhuamme
pesukarhujamme
inessive
pesukarhussamme
pesukarhuissamme
elative
pesukarhustamme
pesukarhuistamme
illative
pesukarhuumme
pesukarhuihimme
adessive
pesukarhullamme
pesukarhuillamme
ablative
pesukarhultamme
pesukarhuiltamme
allative
pesukarhullemme
pesukarhuillemme
essive
pesukarhunamme
pesukarhuinamme
translative
pesukarhuksemme
pesukarhuiksemme
abessive
pesukarhuttamme
pesukarhuittamme
instructive
comitative
—pesukarhuinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
pesukarhunne
pesukarhunne
accusative
nom.
pesukarhunne
pesukarhunne
gen.
pesukarhunne
genitive
pesukarhunne
pesukarhujenne
partitive
pesukarhuanne
pesukarhujanne
inessive
pesukarhussanne
pesukarhuissanne
elative
pesukarhustanne
pesukarhuistanne
illative
pesukarhuunne
pesukarhuihinne
adessive
pesukarhullanne
pesukarhuillanne
ablative
pesukarhultanne
pesukarhuiltanne
allative
pesukarhullenne
pesukarhuillenne
essive
pesukarhunanne
pesukarhuinanne
translative
pesukarhuksenne
pesukarhuiksenne
abessive
pesukarhuttanne
pesukarhuittanne
instructive
comitative
—pesukarhuinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
pesukarhunsa
pesukarhunsa
accusative
nom.
pesukarhunsa
pesukarhunsa
gen.
pesukarhunsa
genitive
pesukarhunsa
pesukarhujensa
partitive
pesukarhuaan pesukarhuansa
pesukarhujaan pesukarhujansa
inessive
pesukarhussaan pesukarhussansa
pesukarhuissaan pesukarhuissansa
elative
pesukarhustaan pesukarhustansa
pesukarhuistaan pesukarhuistansa
illative
pesukarhuunsa
pesukarhuihinsa
adessive
pesukarhullaan pesukarhullansa
pesukarhuillaan pesukarhuillansa
ablative
pesukarhultaan pesukarhultansa
pesukarhuiltaan pesukarhuiltansa
allative
pesukarhulleen pesukarhullensa
pesukarhuilleen pesukarhuillensa
essive
pesukarhunaan pesukarhunansa
pesukarhuinaan pesukarhuinansa
translative
pesukarhukseen pesukarhuksensa
pesukarhuikseen pesukarhuiksensa
abessive
pesukarhuttaan pesukarhuttansa
pesukarhuittaan pesukarhuittansa
instructive
comitative
—pesukarhuineen pesukarhuinensa :

#### Synonyms

* supi (disputed, see usage notes above)

#### Derived terms

* pesukarhukoira

### Further reading

* “pesukarhu”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03