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kirkon (of church) +‎ kylä (village), calque of Swedish kyrkby, from kyrka (church) + by (village), cognate with German Kirchdorf, from Kirche (church) + Dorf (village)




  1. (historical) The village in a rural municipality in which the main church and the vicariate were located.


Usage notes[edit]

Formerly the boundaries of municipalities and parishes were the same and usually kirkonkylä was also in other respects the most important village in a municipality by e.g. being the location of municipal offices. Industrialization and railways changed this picture to a certain extent, and the reduction in number of municipalities that has progressively taken place since the 1960's has further eroded this connection. The central township of a municipality is currently officially called kuntakeskus but the term kirkonkylä is frequently used in common language and in place names.