# More about "Helvetii"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-about-helvetii/227978>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [February 7, 2004, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-about-helvetii/227978 "2004-02-07T11:06:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![suomalainen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@suomalainen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suomalainen)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-about-helvetii/227978/1 "2004-02-07T11:06:57Z")

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Interesting little piece about the origins of the CH for Suisse. Now what I’m wondering is how that ties in with the Finnish word for “Hell”, which is “helvetti” (with 2 't’s). Is this just another example of the Finns misinterpreting something from another language (such as the origin of their word for “jealousy”)? Or is this some more sinister reflection on the nature of Switzerland…? Just a thought. :dubious:

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**Author:** ![suomalainen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@suomalainen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suomalainen)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-about-helvetii/227978/2 "2004-02-07T11:08:29Z")

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Sorry!

Forgot to post the link to the original story ☹

[Why is CH the abbreviation for Switzerland?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhelvetians.html)

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Link fixed – CKDH

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-about-helvetii/227978/3 "2004-02-07T20:59:03Z")

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Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **suomalainen** , glad to have you with us! …and thanks for posting the link, I made a minor fix.

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**Author:** ![Huvudtvatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Huvudtvatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huvudtvatt)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-about-helvetii/227978/4 "2004-02-08T17:01:03Z")

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The finnish word helvetti is probably derived from Swedish, German or another germanic language. You may know that the word is “helvete” in Swedish.

Old Swedish “hælvite”  
Icelandic “helvíti”  
Old English “hellewite”  
Old Low German “helliwiti”

It is a compound of the word for “kingdom of death” - Hell, Hölle, Hel and the word “vite” (punishment).

As to why the Swiss would call their nation “punishment in the kingdom of death” I have no Idea 🙂 .

/Ruotsalainen

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**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-about-helvetii/227978/5 "2005-01-09T11:09:14Z")

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Helvetoi was the Greek name of the inhabitants of the Alps. The root of the name is alp-