Estonian language
| Estonian | |
|---|---|
| Eesti keel | |
| Native to | Estonia |
| Region | Northern Europe |
Native speakers | 1.1 million |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Estonia, European Union |
| Regulated by | Institute of the Estonian Language (semi-official) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | et |
| ISO 639-2 | est |
| ISO 639-3 | est |
The Estonian language (Estonian: eesti keel) is spoken by about 1.1 million people, of whom the great majority live in the Northern European country of Estonia.
Estonian belongs to the Finnic branch of the Finno-Ugric languages. Estonian is thus related to Finnish, spoken on the other side of the Gulf of Finland, and is one of the few languages of Europe that is not Indo-European. Despite some minor overlaps in the vocabulary due to loaning, in terms of its origin, Estonian is not related to its nearest neighbours, Swedish, Latvian and Russian, which are all Indo-European languages.
One of the distinctive features of Estonian is that it has what is traditionally seen as three degrees of phoneme length: short, long, and "overlong", such that IPA /toto/, /to:to/ and /to::to/ are distinct, as are /toto/, /tot:o/, and /tot::o/. The distinction between long and overlong is, in practice, as much a matter of syllable stress (involving pitch) as duration. Long and overlong vowels are not distinguished in written Estonian; plosives, however, appear in writing with three "degrees": b,d,g; p,t,k and pp;tt;kk (all unvoiced plosives).
Phonology
There are nine phonemic monophthongs, with three phonetic lengths. Of these, simple and long are segmentally phonemic, and the third length level is suprasegmentally phonemic and aided by a distinctive tonal contour. The script distinguishes only short and long, marked by vowel doubling, e.g. öö "night". There are 19 segmental diphthongs (Hint 1978), and polysyllablic vowel clusters are also found.
| Front | Back | |||
| Unrounded | Rounded | Unrounded | Rounded | |
| Close | i | ü | u | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid | e | ö | õ | o |
| Open | ä | a | ||
Long /üü/ is not necessarily distinguished from the diphthong /üi/.
There is one series of stops, unvoiced unaspirated, with three phonemic lengths, written b d g, p t k and pp tt kk. The rest of the consonants also have distinctive length, but only short and long are distinguished in writing. As with vowels, two segmental length levels are phonemic, and the third level is suprasegmentally phonemic. For example, for 'n', short 'n' in lina "sheet", half-long 'n' in linna "town's", over-long 'n' in linna "to the town". The latter addition of length is traceable to a grammatical marker *-han that has elided.
The fricatives are s h, added with f š ž z for loans. The other consonants are j l m n r v, plus the allophonic velar nasal in nk and ng. Consonants may be palatalized; this is not spelled out. Palatalization occurs before front vowels. About 0.15% of the vocabulary features fully phonemic palatalization, where palatalization occurs without the front vowel. (The process is similar to that found in Eastern Finnish dialects, where word-final 'i' is elided, leaving the palatalization on the consonant.) Thus, palatalization does not necessarily need a front vowel, and palatalized vs. plain continuants can be articulated. Estonian palatalization is thought to be of Uralic origin, and is different from Russian. In Russian, palatalization causes some affrication and necessarily features a palatal approximant/fricative offglide, which is not the case in Estonian.
The stress is on the first syllable; however, international loanwords and over-long consonants may alter this pattern.
Vocabulary
Although the Estonian and Germanic languages are of completely different origins (leaving out the highly controversial Nostratic and Proto-World language theories), one can identify many similar words in the two languages. This is primarily due to the fact that the Estonian language has borrowed nearly one third of its vocabulary from Germanic languages, mainly from Middle Low German (Low Saxon) during the period of German rule, and High German. The percentage of (High and Low) German loanwords can be estimated at 22-25 percent, with Low German making up about 15 percent.
| Proposed origin | No. of word roots | Period | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nostratic (hypothetical) | 130? | 15 000 – 10 000 BC | m(in)a 'I', s(in)a 'thou', vesi 'water', tabama 'to catch, seize, capture, hit', arbuma 'to magic, charm', puur 'auger', poeg 'son', päkk 'ball of the foot', keel 'tongue', pelgama 'to be afraid, fear', süva 'deep-seated, profound', vedama 'to pull, draw, drag, carry, drive', üks 'one' |
| Uralic | 120 | 5000-4000 BC | ala 'under, sub', üla 'upper, top', esi 'front', taga 'behind'; see 'this, it', too 'that', kes 'who', mis 'what', ei 'no'; minema 'to go', tulema 'to come', tundma 'to feel', ujuma 'to swim', pelgama 'to be afraid, fear', kaduma 'to disappear', mõskma; puu, kuusk, kõiv, murakas, suvi, päev, kaja, kuu, lumi, soo, juga, kala, küü, sisalik; keel, kõrv, luu, maks, põlv, põsk, silm, muna, neelama, pala, sulg, kõrv; tuli, süsi, suusk, nool, sõudma, punuma, vask, vöö; elama, koolma, vägi, nimi, sala, naine; kaks, viis |
| Finno-Ugric | 270 | 4000 -3000 BC | aju, üdi, hing, pea, pii, sapp, vats; aru, jää, koit, voor, paju, pihl, kask, mari, pohl, kamar, rebane, nugis, siil, utt, hiir, püü, mõtus, vares, pääsuke, säga, säinas, särg, täi, kusilane, koi; koda, küla; põlema, küdema, pada, leem, või, väits, vestma, sau; sõba; kolm, neli, kuus; nõid, ise, ilm; talv, sügis, iga; isa, poeg, küdi, kond; valge, hahk, uus, sepp |
| Finno-Permic | 50-140 | 2500 -1500 BC | kõht; kõri; säär; koobas, põrm, sõnnik; peda(jas), kuslapuu, oks, pähkel, kiud, peni, orav, kotkas; rehi, kuduma, amb, mõla, õng; äi, äike; parem, vana; lõuna; meel |
| Finno-Volgaic | 100-150 | 1500 -1000 BC | selg, koon, käpp, vaim; kevad, täht, järv, haab, saar, tamm, vaher, sarapuu, õlg, lehm, siga, pett, jahvatama, kurg, kurvits, parm, sääsk; keema, hiilgama, käis, piir; vene; lell; jumal; aher, jahe, kõva, süva; kargama, pesema, püsima, lüpsma |
| Finno-Lappic | 130 - 150 | 1000 – 500 BC | vihm, sammal, org, vili, põõsas, põud, õnn, veli, ime, luule, taga, tõsi, nälg, küll |
| Baltic-Finnic | 600 - 800 | 500 BC – 800 AD | põder, oja, udu, hobu, mänd; kõne, sõna; aeg, eile; laps, rahvas, linn; nuga, king; julge |
| Estonian and unknown | appr. 1000 | räni, roie, salk, videvik, jäärak, ila, aas, lubi, lõhn, kaan, kesv, ürp + numerous onomatopoetic-descriptive words | |
| Artificial | 50-60 | veenma, roim, laip, kolp, relv, ese, süüme, mõrv, ulm, siiras, range, sulnis, nõme, taunima, naasma, reetma, embama; eirama, eramu, etlema, kõlar, külmik, meetmed, meene, siirdama, teave, teismeline, teler, üllitis, ärandama, levima, süva(muusika), taies, rula | |
| Proto-European loans (hypothetical) | appr. 50 | 5000 – 3000 BC | higi, huul, koib, kõrv, kube, külg, liha, lõug, nahk, rind, selg; mägi, mets, neem, nõmm, oja, org, saar, soo; ahven, haug, koger, koha, rääbis, siig, vimb; jänes, konn; helmes |
| Indo-European and Indo-Iranic loans | 20 - 45 | 3000 – 1000 BC | mesi, sool, osa, sada, põrsas, varss, sarv, puhas, vasar |
| Proto-Baltic and Baltic loans | 100 - 150 | 1500 – 500 BC | hammas, hani, hein, hernes, hõim, oinas, puder, põrgu, ratas, seeme, sein, mets, luht, sõber, tuhat, vagu, regi, vill, veel, kael, kirves, laisk |
| Proto-Germanic and Germanic loans | 380 | 2000 BC – 13th century | agan, ader, humal, kana, kaer, rukis, lammas, leib, põld; aer, mõrd, laev, noot, puri; : kuld, raud, tina; sukk, katel, küünal, taigen; kuningas, laen, luna, raha, rikas, vald; kalju, kallas, rand; armas, taud, kaunis, ja |
| Old Slavic loans | 50-75 | 10th – 13th century | aken, sahk, sirp, turg, teng(elpung), pagan, papp, raamat, rist, kasukas |
| Proto-Latvian loans | 40 | 6th- 7th century | kanep, lääts, magun, udras, kõuts, palakas, lupard, harima, kukkel, vanik, laabuma, kauss, mulk, pastel |
| Low German loans | 750 | 12th – 16th century | kool, neer, ribi; kruus, torm; kõrvits, peet, salat, petersell, münt, köömen, loorber, palm, tamm, roos, ploom; hunt, köök, kruubid, kringel, pannkook, pekk, prantssai, sült, vorst, õli, tärklis, pruukost, kruus, pann, pütt, korv, lähker, toober, tiik, tuli, lamp, lühter; käärid, teljed, vokk, lõuend, samet, siid, vilt, kuub, kört, loor, müts, muda, mantel, püksid, vammus, nööp; hoov, häärber, kelder, kemmerg, korsten, ruum, saal, tall, haamer, hing, höövel, kellu, kapp, pink, tool, trepp, vall, võlv; jaht, jääger, kants, kütt, laager, lahing, piir, püss, poiss, tääk, vaht; altar, ingel, jünger, psalm, prohvet, salm, preester, troost, pihtima, vöörmünder, piiskop, sant; preili, memm, mats, härra, proua, kelm, narr, naaber, kuller, laat, selts, krahv, saks, arst, plaaster; hangeldama, küürima, tingima, kortel, matt, toll, vaagima, viht, üür, paar, piik, tosin, veerand; näärid, reede, tund, vastlad; ankur, kiil, tüür, praam, madrus, pootsman, kotermann, loots, kipper; kaart, kool, kunst, maaler, maalima, paber, trükkima, uurima, trumm, tantsima, piip, vilepill, pasun; just, topelt, väärt |
| Swedish loans | 140 | 13th – 17th century | kratt, kroonu, kuunar, julla, pagar, näkk, plasku, plika, solk, tasku, räim, tünder, moor, puldan, tont |
| Russian loans | 350 | 14th – 20th century | kapsas, tatar, puravik, riisikas, sihvka, kiisu, suslik, kulu, prussakas, tarakan, naarits, soobel, uss; noos, moiva, vobla, mutt; kamorka, putka, sara, lobudik, trahter, koiku, nari, pruss, tökat; hõlst, kamass, kirsa, kombinesoon, kott, puhvaika, marli, pintsak, retuusid, trussikud; kiisel, pontšik, rosolje, rupskid, borš, uhhaa, morss, samagon; batoon, kissell, plombiir, povidlo, šašlõkk, uhhaa; plotski, mahorka, pabeross; mannerg, kopsik; nuut, kantsik, piits, tupik, relss, jaam; kabi, knopka; kasakas, kasarmu, karauul, katelok, kiiver, munder, nekrut, pagun, polk, ranits, sinel, tentsik, utsitama, timukas, rajoon, türm, pops, artell; palakas, haltuura, parseldama, parisnik, siva, tolk, tots, pujään, kitt, tuur, ladna, prosta, sutike; kaanima, kostitama, kruttima, kupeldama |
| (High) German loans | 500 | 16th – 20th century | larhv, lokk, seitel; kastan, pappel, kirss, jasmiin, jorjen, kartul, tulp, vihk; ahv, auster, kalkun, siisike, miisu, mops, taks, kits, vau, viidikas, nepp, pistrik; klimp, klops, kotlet, kompvek, supp, tort, viiner, soust, vahvel, vürts, vein; jope, kittel, kampsun, kleit, vest, lips, värvel, sall, pluus; kamin, pliit, käär(kamber), sahver, latter, kabel, palat; pult, sohva, leen, kummut, kardin, sahtel; uur, klade, klamber, latern, sihverplaat, silt; opman, oober, tisler, tudeng, velsker, virtin, antvärk, aadlik, kärner, kilter, kutsar, lärm, oksjon, krempel, klatš; krehvtine, hull, liiderlik, napp, noobel, ontlik, plass, tumm, trammis; kleepima, klantsima, mehkeldama, sehkendama, rehkendama, trimpama, pummeldama, praalima, turnima; ahoi, proosit, hurraa, hopp, hallo |
| Finnish loans | 90 | 19th – 20th century | aare, sangar, harras, jenka, julm, jäik, sünge, tehas, uljas, vaist, vihjama, säilima, kuvama, haihtuma, anastama |
| Hebrew loans | < 5 | jaana(lind), tohuvabohu | |
| Roma loans | <5 | manguma |
Orthography
Like Finnish, Estonian employs the Latin alphabet, in addition to which the Estonian alphabet contains letters š, ž, ä, ö, ü, and õ. The letters c, q, w, x and y are limited to proper names of foreign origin, and f, z, š, and ž appear in loanwords and foreign names only. Ä, ö, and ü are pronounced similarly to their equivalents in German, the language from which they were originally borrowed. The letter õ denotes IPA /ɤ/, unrounded /o/, or a mid, back, unrounded vowel. (It has a different sound from the same letter in Portuguese. It is similar to the Russian ы and the Vietnamese ơ.)
Estonian orthography is essentially phonemic with each phoneme of the language represented by exactly one grapheme. Exceptions to this derive from historical agreements: for example the initial letter 'h' in words, preservation of the morpheme in declension of the word (writing b, g, d in places where p, k, t is pronounced) and in the use of 'i' and 'j'. Also, š and ž are substituted with sh and zh in some written texts.
Modern Estonian orthography is based on the Newer Orthography created by Eduard Ahrens in the second half of the 19th century based on Finnish Orthography. The Older Orthography it replaced was created in the 17th century by Bengt Gottfried Forselius and Johann Hornung based on standard German orthography. Earlier writing in Estonian had by and large used an ad hoc orthography based on Latin and Middle Low German orthography. Some influences of the standard German orthography - for example, writing 'W'/'w' instead of 'V'/'v' persisted well into the 1930s.
Grammar
Typologically, Estonian represents a transitional form from an agglutinating language to an inflected language. Over the course of Estonian history, German has exercised a strong influence on Estonian, both in vocabulary and syntax.
In Estonian nouns and pronouns do not have grammatical gender, but nouns and adjectives decline in fourteen cases: nominative, genitive, partitive, illative, inessive, elative, allative, adessive, ablative, translative, terminative, essive, abessive, and comitative, with the case and number of the adjective(s) always agreeing with that of the noun (except in the terminative, essive, abessive and comitative, where there is agreement only for the number, the adjective being in the genitive form). Thus the illative for "a yellow house" (kollane maja) — "into a yellow house" is (kollasesse majja).
The direct object of the verb appears either in the accusative (for total objects) or in the partitive (for partial objects). The case accusative looks exactly like the genitive. Genitive vs. partitive case opposition of object used with transitive verbs creates a telicity contrast, just as in Finnish. This is a rough equivalent of the perfect vs. imperfect aspect opposition.
The verbal system lacks a distinctive future tense (the present tense serves here) and features special forms to express an action performed by an undetermined subject (the "impersonal").
Language example
NURMEKUNNA HÜMN
- Karjatades hundikarju,
- Süües musti hooramarju,
- Leidsin eilse Nurmekunna ma.
- Veel ei olnud otsas mõdu,
- Veel ei olnud sündind sõdu,
- Lembitut, kes liitis Eestimaa.
- Hingel hakkab veidi valus.
- Kuskil laanes, kuskil talus,
- Kostab vaikselt vilepilli hääl.
- Kuskil nurmel lõhnab mesi.
- Tuul toob kokku inimesi,
- Hõbedased sõled rinna pääl.
- Kostab, justkui löödaks lokku –
- Juuaks karudega kokku.
- Nurmel mängib vaikselt vilepill.
- Karukujud hõbemärgis,
- Tuleb tüdruk valges särgis.
- Juustesse on põimit rukkilill.
- Aga ükskord joodi mõdu,
- Mäletati muistseid sõdu,
- Lembitut, kes liitis Eestimaa.
- Hiiekünkal kasvas tamme.
- Kuulsin tuleviku samme –
- Leidsin homse Nurmekunna ma.
- Kõik, mis on ilus, on eilsesse läev.
- Jällegi eilseks saab tänane päev.
- Kõik, mis siin selles ilus on jääv,
- Tagasi homsest toob tänane päev.
Lyrics by Tõnu Trubetsky
Numbers
- 0 - null
- 1 - üks
- 2 - kaks
- 3 - kolm
- 4 - neli
- 5 - viis
- 6 - kuus
- 7 - seitse
- 8 - kaheksa
- 9 - üheksa
- 10 - kümme
- 11 - üksteist
- 12 - kaksteist
- 13 - kolmteist
- 20 - kakskümmend
- 21 - kakskümmend üks
- 22 - kakskümmend kaks
- 29 - kakskümmend üheksa
- 30 - kolmkümmend
- 90 - üheksakümmend
- 100 - (üks)sada
- 101 - sada üks
- 110 - sada kümme
- 112 - sada kaksteist
- 120 - sada kakskümmend
- 190 - sada üheksakümmend
- 200 - kakssada
- 900 - üheksasada
- 1000 - tuhat
- 1000000 - miljon
- 1000000000 - miljard
Reference
Mati Hint. Häälikutest sõnadeni. Valgus 1978, Tallinn.
See also
External links
- An Estonian-English dictionary (Institute of the Estonian Language)
- An English-Estonian dictionary (Institute of Baltic Studies)
- An Estonian-English-Estonian dictionary
- A Russian-Estonian dictionary
- Estonica.org article about the Estonian language
- Estonian literary magazine
- Learn and listen to useful expressions in Estonian
- Estonian Dictionary from Webster's Dictionary
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