Category
Topic
Year
Stupid Mulks
Keywords: Latvian-Estonian linguistic contact, etymology, microethnonyms, onomastics
The short study „Are Mulks really stupid?” published in the magazine Keel ja Kirjandus (2017/6, pp. 434–452) by Taavi Pae and Kersti Lust attempts to argue that the microethnonym mul´k does not originate in the Latvian common noun muļ΄ķis ‘fool, idiot, softhead’. The present article takes a closer look at the arguments presented by Pae and Lust, concluding that their own conclusions would have been more convincing if based on true knowledge of language history, in particular, of historical derivation, and on better orientation in Baltic materials, all anchored in sound methodological expertise, as the declared aim of their study…
The short study „Are Mulks really stupid?” published in the magazine Keel ja Kirjandus (2017/6, pp. 434–452) by Taavi Pae and Kersti Lust attempts to argue that the microethnonym mul´k does not originate in the Latvian common noun muļ΄ķis ‘fool, idiot, softhead’. The present article takes a closer look at the arguments presented by Pae and Lust, concluding that their own conclusions would have been more convincing if based on true knowledge of language history, in particular, of historical derivation, and on better orientation in Baltic materials, all anchored in sound methodological expertise, as the declared aim of their study…
Estonian adolescent speech I
Keywords: speech corpus, speaking fundamental frequency, voice mutation, age and gender related variations, F0 statistics
The paper introduces the Estonian Adolescent Speech Corpus and reports cross-sectional data on speaking fundamental frequency characteristics of Estonian adolescents. 175 girls and 134 boys in the age range from 9 to 18 years were recorded while reading a text corpus containing linguistically diverse material such as digits, phone numbers, time expressions, IT terms, sentences with name entities, phonetically rich sentences. The corpus also includes several samples of spontaneous speech elicited with pictures to be described and with topics for storytelling. In total, 70 items (ca…
The paper introduces the Estonian Adolescent Speech Corpus and reports cross-sectional data on speaking fundamental frequency characteristics of Estonian adolescents. 175 girls and 134 boys in the age range from 9 to 18 years were recorded while reading a text corpus containing linguistically diverse material such as digits, phone numbers, time expressions, IT terms, sentences with name entities, phonetically rich sentences. The corpus also includes several samples of spontaneous speech elicited with pictures to be described and with topics for storytelling. In total, 70 items (ca…
Harold Bloom’s and Paul de Man’s complementary rhetorical misreadings
Keywords: Estonian literature, anxiety of influence, rhetorics, tropes, irony, misreading
The broader aim of this article is to give an overview of Harold Bloom’s theory of the anxiety of influence and its applicability to analyse Estonian literature. A further objective is to develop a synchronic and diachronic method of literary analysis by confronting Bloom’s theory with the writings of its main contemporary critic Paul de Man. In my opinion, both critics’ different views on rhetoric (de Man: a system of tropes; Bloom: persuasion) are mutually complementary, which I illustrate by using them to analyse two Estonian decadence novels with a similar…
The broader aim of this article is to give an overview of Harold Bloom’s theory of the anxiety of influence and its applicability to analyse Estonian literature. A further objective is to develop a synchronic and diachronic method of literary analysis by confronting Bloom’s theory with the writings of its main contemporary critic Paul de Man. In my opinion, both critics’ different views on rhetoric (de Man: a system of tropes; Bloom: persuasion) are mutually complementary, which I illustrate by using them to analyse two Estonian decadence novels with a similar…
The position and function of locative demonstrative adverbs in Estonian
Keywords: locative demonstrative adverbs, reference, spatial semantics, syntax, motion, Estonian
Demonstratives are extremely important in all languages due to them having various pragmatic, semantic, and syntactic functions. For this reason, they are frequently studied and our current knowledge of demonstratives is also comparatively rich. However, research into demonstratives tends to concentrate mainly on demonstrative pronouns, while demonstrative adverbs have received much less attention. The same applies to Estonian linguistic tradition in that demonstrative pronouns are much more exhaustively investigated than demonstrative adverbs. The current study aims to fill this gap by analysing the use and function of locative demonstrative adverbs in…
Demonstratives are extremely important in all languages due to them having various pragmatic, semantic, and syntactic functions. For this reason, they are frequently studied and our current knowledge of demonstratives is also comparatively rich. However, research into demonstratives tends to concentrate mainly on demonstrative pronouns, while demonstrative adverbs have received much less attention. The same applies to Estonian linguistic tradition in that demonstrative pronouns are much more exhaustively investigated than demonstrative adverbs. The current study aims to fill this gap by analysing the use and function of locative demonstrative adverbs in…
The body and soul of a sportswoman as seen in Johannes Semper’s short story collection „Ellinor”
Keywords: Johannes Semper, body studies, sports, New Woman, homosexuality
The article explores the depiction of the body of a sporting woman, especially of one playing tennis or swimming, in Johannes Semper’s short story collection„Ellinor” (1927). There are three reasons why „Ellinor” has a radical meaning in the Estonian literature of the time. Firstly, the activities are consistently portrayed through the female point of view; secondly, the stories are permeated by an enthusiastic and luxuriant sense of life, which defies the book culture as remote from life; and thirdly, both a sporting „new woman” and homosexuality were certainly novel subjects in the…
The article explores the depiction of the body of a sporting woman, especially of one playing tennis or swimming, in Johannes Semper’s short story collection„Ellinor” (1927). There are three reasons why „Ellinor” has a radical meaning in the Estonian literature of the time. Firstly, the activities are consistently portrayed through the female point of view; secondly, the stories are permeated by an enthusiastic and luxuriant sense of life, which defies the book culture as remote from life; and thirdly, both a sporting „new woman” and homosexuality were certainly novel subjects in the…
Etymology of the folk name Mulks
Keywords: etymology of folk names, migration, oral history
The article explores whether the widespread belief that the folk name Mulks and the region name Mulgimaa derive from the Latvian word muļķis, muļķe ‘stupid, fool’ is based on evidence and possibly justified. Phonetic similarity between the words mulk and muļķis is evident indeed, but we lack convincing evidence that the word mulk is of Latvian origin. By tracing the emergence and use of the folk name Mulks, the authors explore its social, historical and cultural context. By combining contemporary fiction, polemics in media, memorates and other forms of oral tradition, sources on settlement and migration, it appears that the folk name Mulks was most probably used by…
The article explores whether the widespread belief that the folk name Mulks and the region name Mulgimaa derive from the Latvian word muļķis, muļķe ‘stupid, fool’ is based on evidence and possibly justified. Phonetic similarity between the words mulk and muļķis is evident indeed, but we lack convincing evidence that the word mulk is of Latvian origin. By tracing the emergence and use of the folk name Mulks, the authors explore its social, historical and cultural context. By combining contemporary fiction, polemics in media, memorates and other forms of oral tradition, sources on settlement and migration, it appears that the folk name Mulks was most probably used by…
üpris – indigenous or loanword?
Keywords: lexicology, etymology, Estonian
The article discusses the etymology of üpris, which is a common word in standard Estonian. There are different hypotheses about its origin, but still no consensus. In the 17th–19th-century Estonian writings the word usually means either ’very’ or ’great; wonderfully’, in the 19th century also ’rather’, like to-day. Reports of its dialectal use are rare. Most probably we have here a loanword expressing superlativity. Phonetically and semantically, as well as according to dialect material the source word could have been ypperst (dial. also ypp(e)rster etc) ’the most wonderful; most wonderfully’ originating in Old Modern Swedish. However, the…
The article discusses the etymology of üpris, which is a common word in standard Estonian. There are different hypotheses about its origin, but still no consensus. In the 17th–19th-century Estonian writings the word usually means either ’very’ or ’great; wonderfully’, in the 19th century also ’rather’, like to-day. Reports of its dialectal use are rare. Most probably we have here a loanword expressing superlativity. Phonetically and semantically, as well as according to dialect material the source word could have been ypperst (dial. also ypp(e)rster etc) ’the most wonderful; most wonderfully’ originating in Old Modern Swedish. However, the…
A geocritical approach to literature written about Lake Peipus
Keywords: geocriticism, literary theory of space, comparative literary studies, Bertrand Westphal, Peipus-literature.
The aim of the article is to analyse literature related to Lake Peipus from the perspective of geocriticism.
First, the article gives an overview about geocriticism and a brief introduction to its origins, that is, the spatial turn of the 1980s.
The second part of the article has its focus on Bertrand Westphal’s theory, especially the four elements of geocriticism: multifocalization, polysensoriality, stratigraphic vision and intertextuality. According to the principle of multifocalization, the geocritic is required to engage with many different points of view. Polysensoriality means that it is not only…
The aim of the article is to analyse literature related to Lake Peipus from the perspective of geocriticism.
First, the article gives an overview about geocriticism and a brief introduction to its origins, that is, the spatial turn of the 1980s.
The second part of the article has its focus on Bertrand Westphal’s theory, especially the four elements of geocriticism: multifocalization, polysensoriality, stratigraphic vision and intertextuality. According to the principle of multifocalization, the geocritic is required to engage with many different points of view. Polysensoriality means that it is not only…
Conversational intentions as reflected in the breathing pattern
Keywords: phonetics, spontaneous speech, speech breathing, speech planning, turn taking, backchannels
The main aim of this article was to describe how two functionally different objects in terms of speech planning behave in the respiratory patterns of spontaneous speech. First, the focus was on the timing of utterances and backchannels (short feedback items signalling that the listener understands and follows the speaker) in the respiratory cycle. The second focus was on the parametres of the inhalations preceding utterances and backchannels. The article is an overview of research done in speech breathing using data from spontaneous Estonian conversations.
The data is made up of…
The main aim of this article was to describe how two functionally different objects in terms of speech planning behave in the respiratory patterns of spontaneous speech. First, the focus was on the timing of utterances and backchannels (short feedback items signalling that the listener understands and follows the speaker) in the respiratory cycle. The second focus was on the parametres of the inhalations preceding utterances and backchannels. The article is an overview of research done in speech breathing using data from spontaneous Estonian conversations.
The data is made up of…
Mikhail Plotnikov and his poem Yangal-Maa
Keywords: Mansi epic, Mansi folklore, Ob-Ugrian folklore, Mikhail Plotnikov
The poem Yangal-Maa was written in Russian by Mikhail Plotnikov and published in its entirety in 1933. Its Estonian translation (2016) is subtitled as „Mansi epic”. The research questions asked in the article are: What prompted the author to write such a piece? How well did he know Mansi folklore and to what extent does the poem reflect it? The introduction also provides a short overview of some other epics of the kindred Finno-Ugric peoples, which have been written in Russian and translated into Estonian. Considering the plot, setting, characters and the…
The poem Yangal-Maa was written in Russian by Mikhail Plotnikov and published in its entirety in 1933. Its Estonian translation (2016) is subtitled as „Mansi epic”. The research questions asked in the article are: What prompted the author to write such a piece? How well did he know Mansi folklore and to what extent does the poem reflect it? The introduction also provides a short overview of some other epics of the kindred Finno-Ugric peoples, which have been written in Russian and translated into Estonian. Considering the plot, setting, characters and the…