Category
Topic
Year
On the origin of the Estonian name Petseri
Keywords: toponyms, etymology, Estonian language, Old East Slavic language, Russian language
There are several explanations for the origin of the name of the town of Petseri (Russian: Печоры) and its monastery (commonly referred to as Печерский монастырь). The author of this article is convinced that the name Petseri derives from the Old East Slavic word печера, meaning ‘cave’. The formation of the toponym is inspired by the sandstone cave, which is closely tied to the history of the Petseri monastery. There is no reason to associate the name with that of the village of Paatskohka, as that is based on a…
There are several explanations for the origin of the name of the town of Petseri (Russian: Печоры) and its monastery (commonly referred to as Печерский монастырь). The author of this article is convinced that the name Petseri derives from the Old East Slavic word печера, meaning ‘cave’. The formation of the toponym is inspired by the sandstone cave, which is closely tied to the history of the Petseri monastery. There is no reason to associate the name with that of the village of Paatskohka, as that is based on a…
kabajantsik and vorlontsik
Keywords: Estonian vocabulary, etymology, loanwords
Vocabulary researchers have repeatedly discussed the origins of the Estonian words kabajantsik ‘vagabond, crook, suspicious person’ and vorlontsik ‘idler, loafer’, yet no convincing etymological explanation has emerged. This brief article explores, based on a wealth of background material, the possibility that these words originate from Russian.
For kabajantsik, the likely Russian loan source, in the author’s view, is the Pskov dialect word каба́щик (каба́ччик), cf. кабатчик meaning ‘innkeeper, tavern keeper’. The Votic word kabatšikk(a) ‘innkeeper’ also derives from the same source. vorlontsik is probably borrowed from a word family that includes the Russian dialect forms (from Pskov…
Vocabulary researchers have repeatedly discussed the origins of the Estonian words kabajantsik ‘vagabond, crook, suspicious person’ and vorlontsik ‘idler, loafer’, yet no convincing etymological explanation has emerged. This brief article explores, based on a wealth of background material, the possibility that these words originate from Russian.
For kabajantsik, the likely Russian loan source, in the author’s view, is the Pskov dialect word каба́щик (каба́ччик), cf. кабатчик meaning ‘innkeeper, tavern keeper’. The Votic word kabatšikk(a) ‘innkeeper’ also derives from the same source. vorlontsik is probably borrowed from a word family that includes the Russian dialect forms (from Pskov…
A data-intensive view on the emerging Estonian written language community, 1800–1940
Keywords: national bibliography, data-intensive humanities, Estonian national awakening, written language, book history
The Estonian National Bibliography aims to provide a comprehensive overview of all printed works published in Estonia, by Estonians, or about Estonians. Bibliographic data science has suggested that national bibliographies can be used to study cultural history using the tools of digital humanities. In this article, I explore the historical details surrounding the emergence of the Estonian written language community, with a focus on the mid- to late 19th century.
I introduce the Estonian National Bibliography as a data source and trace the emergence of the Estonian written language…
The Estonian National Bibliography aims to provide a comprehensive overview of all printed works published in Estonia, by Estonians, or about Estonians. Bibliographic data science has suggested that national bibliographies can be used to study cultural history using the tools of digital humanities. In this article, I explore the historical details surrounding the emergence of the Estonian written language community, with a focus on the mid- to late 19th century.
I introduce the Estonian National Bibliography as a data source and trace the emergence of the Estonian written language…
In the laboratory of utopian world reform
Keywords: modern history, constructed languages, international auxiliary language, Occidental/Interlingue, linguistic diversity, interlinguistics
The creator of one of the most successful planned languages of the first half of the 20th century, Occidental (today known as Interlingue), was Edgar von Wahl (or de Wahl), a teacher from Tallinn. His success story was far from inevitable, but the factors that made it possible have received little attention in the existing literature. This article seeks to fill this gap by analyzing these factors as well as Wahl’s contribution to the international auxiliary language movement. The article mainly discusses the activities of three organizations central to…
The creator of one of the most successful planned languages of the first half of the 20th century, Occidental (today known as Interlingue), was Edgar von Wahl (or de Wahl), a teacher from Tallinn. His success story was far from inevitable, but the factors that made it possible have received little attention in the existing literature. This article seeks to fill this gap by analyzing these factors as well as Wahl’s contribution to the international auxiliary language movement. The article mainly discusses the activities of three organizations central to…
Making sense of human-nature relationships in essays
Keywords: cultural transfer, environmental ethics, Estonian literature, interdisciplinarity, scientific knowledge
The problem of how knowledge becomes understanding of complex phenomena, such as social-ecological systems, is of both theoretical and applied interest. This article is built on the premise that published essays serve as an archive of these cognitive processes. An important reason is that essay-writing is practised across different cultural systems (including scientists), providing potential grounds for cultural exchange.
I conduct a functional analysis of 108 essays, selected as a stratified sample from 36 Estonian authors representing three groups (literature; science; other) since the 20th century. The main criteria were that (i)…
The problem of how knowledge becomes understanding of complex phenomena, such as social-ecological systems, is of both theoretical and applied interest. This article is built on the premise that published essays serve as an archive of these cognitive processes. An important reason is that essay-writing is practised across different cultural systems (including scientists), providing potential grounds for cultural exchange.
I conduct a functional analysis of 108 essays, selected as a stratified sample from 36 Estonian authors representing three groups (literature; science; other) since the 20th century. The main criteria were that (i)…
Colonization and place names
Keywords: colonization, power relations, Abkhazia, Estonian diaspora
The Estonian villages of Salme, Sulevi, Estonia, and Linda were established along the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus in the 1880s. This was part of a broader migration movement that began in the mid-19th century, following the implementation of peasant laws and passport reforms that allowed peasants to leave their home provinces. Key push factors included demographic transition, overpopulation, and land shortages, while Russian imperial policies encouraged colonization in the southern and eastern regions of the empire. Estonians settled in Abkhazia after the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), a period during which much of the local population was exiled to the…
The Estonian villages of Salme, Sulevi, Estonia, and Linda were established along the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus in the 1880s. This was part of a broader migration movement that began in the mid-19th century, following the implementation of peasant laws and passport reforms that allowed peasants to leave their home provinces. Key push factors included demographic transition, overpopulation, and land shortages, while Russian imperial policies encouraged colonization in the southern and eastern regions of the empire. Estonians settled in Abkhazia after the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), a period during which much of the local population was exiled to the…
Attitudes toward snakes in medieval and early modern Estonian historical sources
Keywords: history, chronicles, folk traditions, snakes, slow-worm, household snake
Snakes appear relatively infrequently in medieval and early modern Estonian written and visual sources, and when they do, they are typically portrayed in a negative light. In theological writings and religious art, snakes symbolized Satan. Normative and narrative sources of the era often described Estonians through references to snakes, emphasizing their paganism, barbarism, and superstition. However, these sources contain little information about actual reptiles.
Attitudes toward snakes – and knowledge about them – varied depending on a person’s background: urban and rural dwellers, Germans and Estonians, and individuals of different social classes…
Snakes appear relatively infrequently in medieval and early modern Estonian written and visual sources, and when they do, they are typically portrayed in a negative light. In theological writings and religious art, snakes symbolized Satan. Normative and narrative sources of the era often described Estonians through references to snakes, emphasizing their paganism, barbarism, and superstition. However, these sources contain little information about actual reptiles.
Attitudes toward snakes – and knowledge about them – varied depending on a person’s background: urban and rural dwellers, Germans and Estonians, and individuals of different social classes…
From Kockeste to Koikson
Keywords: onomastics, anthroponyms, families, farm names, revisions, patronymics
The emergence of Estonian family names (in Estonian: perekonnanimi) is typically dated to the 19th century. However, approximately one-fourth of these names have older onomastic roots. The first comprehensive lists of Estonian peasants date back to the 16th century. This study examines eight regions of Estonia, encompassing 765 peasants. Of these, 662 (87%) were recorded with a binominal naming structure (byname + given name), which suggests that by the 1560s, Estonian peasants had adopted a binominal personal naming system. One list from the 1540s recorded 63% of peasants with a byname, indicating that…
The emergence of Estonian family names (in Estonian: perekonnanimi) is typically dated to the 19th century. However, approximately one-fourth of these names have older onomastic roots. The first comprehensive lists of Estonian peasants date back to the 16th century. This study examines eight regions of Estonia, encompassing 765 peasants. Of these, 662 (87%) were recorded with a binominal naming structure (byname + given name), which suggests that by the 1560s, Estonian peasants had adopted a binominal personal naming system. One list from the 1540s recorded 63% of peasants with a byname, indicating that…