Finns proper

{{Short description|Tribe of the Finnish people}}

{{Infobox ethnic group

| group = Finns proper

| flag = 100px

| flag_caption = Coat of arms of the historical province of Finland Proper

| regions = Southwest Finland and Satakunta

| languages = Finnish (Southwest Finnish dialects)

| religions = Lutheranism

| related = Other regional subgroups

}}

Finns proper ({{langx|fi|varsinaissuomalaiset}}, {{langx|sv|Egentliga Finnar}}) are a historic people and a modern subgroup (heimo) of the Finnish people. They live in the areas of the historical province of Finland Proper ({{langx|fi|Varsinais-Suomi}}) and Satakunta, and they speak Southwestern dialects of Finnish. The Finns proper have had strong connections to Scandinavia throughout their history.Palmunen, Lauri (toim.): Varsinais-Suomen käsikirja – Egentliga Finlands handbok. Turku: Varsinais-Suomen liitto, 2009

Originally, the exonym "Finland" and the endonym "Suomi" referred only to the Southwestern region inhabited by Finns proper. Later, the meaning of these names expanded to refer to the whole area of modern Finland. Earlier, the name "Finn" meant Sami people, especially in older Norse sagas.Hermann Pálsson (1999): The Sami People in Old Norse Literature.

The Russian name Сумь, 'Sum', which appears in Novgorodian chronicles, is believed to refer to Finns proper. "Sums" are mentioned as allies of Swedes at the Battle of Neva at 1240.{{cite web|url=http://193.184.161.234/DF/detail.php?id=83 |title=Description of the battle in the First Novgorod Chronicle |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927051426/http://193.184.161.234/DF/detail.php?id=83 |archivedate=2007-09-27 }}; in Swedish. Hosted by the [http://www.narc.fi narc.fi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915000053/http://www.narc.fi/ |date=2010-09-15 }}. See [http://www.narc.fi/Arkistolaitos/sahkoiset/ Arkistolaitos/sahkoiset] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608003759/http://www.narc.fi/Arkistolaitos/sahkoiset/ |date=June 8, 2007 }} and Diplomatarium Fennicum from the menu. See also [http://www.portalus.ru/modules/rushistory/print.php?subaction=showfull&id=1161587409&archive=&start_from=&ucat=14& original text]; in Russian.File:Lounaismurteet.png