# punkea (pystyyn)



## Gavril

I've seen the phrase _punkee pystyyn_ used in contexts like

_Muutos edelliseen yöhön oli kuitenkin se, ettei tyttö enää yrittänyt punkea pystyyn, vaan sieltä makuulta huuteli._

"The change from the previous night was, however, that the girl no longer tried to [punkea] upright, but cried from a lying-down position."

I haven't been able to find _punkea_ in any dictionary, so far -- can anyone give a translation?

KiitoksiaP


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## Grumpy Old Man

I have never heard the word but to me it sounds and looks like a nonce word. The meaning is very clear, though: "The change from the previous night was, however, that the girl no  longer tried to *sit* up, but cried from a lying-down position."

_Sit up_ is the first expression that comes to my mind, even though in actual fact the girl need not necessarily have tried to raise her body from a supine position into a sitting position. The change from the previous night was, however, that the girl was content to lie down and made no attempt whatsoever to rise.

GOM


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## nino4ka

I have heard this word being used among my older relatives in the Tampere region countryside. I think the emphasis in this word is on the effort. I would say, the girl makes a (physical) effort to move into a sitting position. "Punkea" sounds to me like somebody "pushes him/herself upwards".


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## Grumpy Old Man

nino4ka said:


> I would say, the girl makes a (physical) effort to move into a sitting position. "Punkea" sounds to me like somebody "pushes him/herself upwards".


She certainly does *not* make an effort to sit up: "_Muutos edelliseen yöhön oli kuitenkin se, ett*ei* tyttö enää yrittänyt punkea pystyyn, vaan sieltä makuulta huuteli."

_GOM


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## nino4ka

Grumpy Old Man said:


> She certainly does *not* make an effort to sit up: "_Muutos edelliseen yöhön oli kuitenkin se, ett*ei* tyttö enää yrittänyt punkea pystyyn, vaan sieltä makuulta huuteli."_
> 
> GOM


 
I am sorry I wrote my message wrong, I think I read your original message wrong!

True, she doesn't make an effort in this case, as there is "ett*ei*", but the verb itself, when there is no negation, makes me think of "push oneself up (and make an effort doing that)".


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