Estonian vocabulary

The Estonian vocabulary, i.e., the vocabulary of the Estonian language, was influenced by many other language groups.

Contents
Germanic languages
Ex nihilo lexical enrichment
Tables of word origin
Inherited vocabulary
Loanwords
Other
References

Germanic languages
The heaviest external contribution, nearly one third of the vocabulary, comes from Germanic languages, mainly from Low Saxon
(Middle Low German) during the period of German rule, and High German (including standard German). The percentage of Low
[1][2]
Saxon and High German loanwords can be estimated at 22–25 percent, with Low Saxon making up about 15 percent.

Ex nihilo lexical enrichment

Estonian language planners such as Ado Grenzstein (a journalist active in Estonia in the 1870s–90s) tried to use formation ex nihilo,
Urschöpfung,[3] i.e. they created new words out of nothing. Examples are Ado Grenzstein's coinages kabe ‘draughts, chequers’ and
male ‘chess’.[3]

The most famous reformer of Estonian, Johannes Aavik (1880–1973), also used creations ex nihilo (cf. ‘free constructions’, Tauli
1977), along with other sources of lexical enrichment such as derivations, compositions and loanwords (often from Finnish; cf.
Saareste and Raun 1965: 76). Aavik belonged to the so-called Noor Eesti (‘Young Estonia’) movement, which appeared in Tartu, a
university town in south-eastern Estonia, around 1905 (for discussion, see Raun 1991). In Aavik’s dictionary (1921), which lists
approximately 4000 words, there are many words which were (allegedly) created ex nihilo. Consider • ese ‘object’, • kolp ‘skull’, •
liibuma ‘to cling’, • naasma ‘to return, come back’, • nõme ‘stupid, dull’, • range ‘strict’, • reetma ‘to betray’, • solge ‘slim, flexible,
graceful’ (which did not gain currency, cf. Contemporary Estonian graatsiline ‘graceful’, although the word itself is used for a
parasitic worm, namelyAscaris lumbricoides), and • veenma ‘to convince’. Other Aavikisms ex nihilo (not appearing in Aavik 1921)
include • nentima ‘to admit, state’, • nördima ‘to grow indignant’, •süüme ‘conscience’, and • tõik ‘fact’."[3]

Note, however, that many of the coinages that have been considered (often by Aavik himself) as words concocted ex nihilo could
well have been influenced by foreign lexical items, for example words from Russian, German, French, Finnish, English and Swedish.
Aavik had a broad classical education and knew Ancient Greek, Latin and French. Consider • relv ‘weapon’ versus English revolver,
• roim ‘crime’ versus Englishcrime, • siiras ‘sincere’ versus English sincere/serious • embama ‘to embrace’ versus English embrace,
and • taunima ‘to condemn, disapprove’ versus Finnish tuomita ‘to judge’ (these Aavikisms appear in Aavik’s 1921 dictionary).
Consider also • evima ‘to have, possess, own’ (cf. also Estonian omama ‘to own’, and mul on, lit. ‘to me is’, i.e. ‘for me there is’,
meaning ‘I have’) versus English have; • laup ‘forehead’ versus Russian лоб lob ‘forehead’; • mõrv ‘murder’ and mõrvama ‘to
murder’ versus English murder and German Mord (these Aavikisms do not appear in Aavik 1921); and • laip ‘corpse’ versus German
Leib ‘body’ and German Leiche ‘body, corpse’. These words might be better regarded as a peculiar manifestation of morpho-
phonemic adaptation of a foreign lexical item. The often irregular and arbitrary sound changes could then be explained not as
subconscious foreign influence but rather as conscious manipulation by the coiner. Aavik seems to have paid little attention to the
origin of his neologisms. On occasion, he replaced existing native words or expressions with neologisms of foreign descent.
[4]
Therefore, Aavik cannot be considered apurist in the traditional sense, i.e. he was not ‘anti-foreignisms/loanwords’ as such.

Tables of word origin

Inherited vocabulary
Inherited vocabulary in Estonian can be classified
according to how far off they have cognates among the
other Uralic languages.

"Uralic" words have known cognates in the

Samoyedic languages.
"Finno-Ugric" words have known cognates at
furthest in the Ugric languages.
"Finno-Permic" words have known cognates at
furthest in the Permic languages.
"Finno-Volgaic" words have known cognates at
furthest in the Mari language or the Mordvinic
languages (formerly known as "Volgaic").
"Finno-Samic" words have known cognates at
furthest in the Samic languages.
Approximate share of root word origins in Estonian.
"Finnic" words have known cognates only among
the Finnic languages.
All these groups correspond to different proposed subgroups of the Uralic languages. However, the historical reality of most
groupings is disputed. In principle e.g. a "Finno-Permic" word may be just as old as a "Uralic" word, just one whose descendants
have not survived to the modern Samoyedic and Ugric languages.
 No. Examples by semantic area
Proposed of
origin word
roots Nature and the body Cultural concepts Abstract concepts

Anatomy: keel 'tongue;

language', kõrv 'ear', luu
'bone', maks 'liver', põlv
'knee', põsk 'cheek', silm
'eye', muna 'egg', neelama 'to
swallow', pala 'piece', sulg
'feather'
Basic actions: minema 'to
States: elama 'to live; to go', tulema 'to come',
dwell', koolma 'to die, pass ujuma 'to swim', kaduma 'to
Technology: tuli 'fire', süsi
disappear', mõskma 'to
away, decease', pelgama 'to 'ember(s), coal', suusk 'ski',
wash'
nool 'arrow', pura 'auger',
be afraid, fear', tundma 'to sõudma 'to row', punuma 'to Locations: ala 'under, sub',
feel' knit', vask 'copper', vöö 'belt,
üla 'upper, top', esi 'front',
girdle'; pada 'pot', leem 'soup,
Environment: suvi 'summer', taga 'behind'
Uralic 120 broth, brew'
päev 'day', kaja 'echo', kuu Grammatical: m(in)a 'I',
Society: vägi 'power, vigour,
'moon, Luna', lumi 'snow', soo s(in)a 'thou', see 'this, it',
strength, might, force', sala
'marsh, bog, swamp', vesi kes 'who', mis 'what', too
'secretly', naine 'woman', nimi
'water', juga 'jet; falls, 'that', ei 'no'
'name'
waterfall' Numerals: kaks 'two', viis
Plants: puu 'tree', kuusk 'five'
'spruce, fir(-tree)', kõiv 'birch',
murakas 'cloudberry'
Animals: kala 'fish', küü
'snake; blindworm', sisalik
'lizard'

Anatomy: aju 'brain', üdi

'marrow', hing 'soul', huul 'lip',
pea 'head', pii 'tooth', päkk
'ball of the foot', sapp 'gall,
bile', vats 'belly, stomach'
Environment: ilm 'weather,
air', jää 'ice', koit 'dawn,
Technology: põlema 'burn,
daybreak, Aurora', talv blaze', küdema 'burn, heat', või aru 'sense, reason'
'winter', sügis 'autumn', voor 'butter', väits 'knife', vestma
'carve', sau 'clay; stock for Adjectives: valge 'white',
'drumlin'
walking'; sõba 'robe' hahk 'gray; eider', süva
Plants: paju 'willow', pihl
Finno- ise 'self', iga 'age' 'deep-seated, profound',
270 'rowan', kask 'birch', mari
Ugric Society: küla 'village'; isa uus 'new'
'berry', pohl 'cowberry'
'father', poeg 'son', küdi Numerals: üks 'one', kolm
Animals: kamar 'rind', nugis
'brother-in-law', kond '-hood', 'three', neli 'four', kuus 'six'
'marten', siil 'hedgehog', hiir
nõid 'witch', sepp 'blacksmith'
'mouse', püü 'grouse', mõtus
'capercaillie', vares 'crow',
pääsuke 'swallow', säga
'catfish', säinas 'ide', särg
'roach', täi 'louse', kusilane
'ant', koi 'moth, bug'

Finno- 50– Anatomy: kõht 'stomach', rehi 'threshing barn', kuduma 'to parem 'right, better', vana
Permic 140 kõri 'throat', säär 'leg, shank' weave, to knit', amb 'crossbow', 'old', lõuna 'south, midday',
 Environment: koobas 'cave', mõla 'oar, paddle', õng 'angle', meel 'mind'
äi 'father-in-law', äike 'thunder'
põrm 'dust, earth'
Plants: peda(jas) 'pine tree',
kuslapuu 'honeysuckle', oks
'branch', pähkel 'nut', kiud
'fiber'
Animals: kotkas 'eagle', orav
'squirrel', peni 'dog', sõnnik
'dung'

Anatomy: selg 'back', koon

'snout', käpp 'paw'
Environment: kevad 'spring',
täht 'star', järv 'lake' vaim 'spirit', pett 'buttermilk',
Plants: haab 'aspen', saar jahvatama to grind'; keema 'to
boil', hiilgama 'to glow, to
'ash tree', tamm 'oak', vaher gleam', käis 'sleeve', piir Adjectives: aher 'barren',
Finno- 100–
'maple', sarapuu 'hazel', õlg 'border'; vene 'boat'; lell 'uncle, jahe 'cool', kõva 'hard',
Volgaic 150
father's brother', kargama 'to süva 'deep'
'straw'
jump', pesema 'to wash',
Animals: lehm 'cow', siga püsima 'to stay, to remain',
'pig', kurg 'crane, stork', lüpsma 'to milk'
kurvits 'sandpiper', parm
'horse fly', sääsk 'midge'

õnn 'happiness, fortune',

vihm 'rain', sammal 'moss',
Finno- 130–
org 'valley', vili 'grain, fruit',
Samic 150
põõsas 'bush', põud 'draught'
higi 'sweat', külg 'side'; põder
'elk', oja 'stream', udu 'fog',
600–
Finnic hobu 'horse', jänes 'hare',
800
konn 'frog', mänd 'pine tree',
neem 'cape', saar 'island'
veli 'brother', ime 'miracle', luule
'poetry'
aeg 'time', eile 'yesterday'; laps
'child', rahvas 'people', linn
'town'; nuga 'knife', king 'shoe'
taga 'back, behind', tõsi
'truth', nälg 'hunger', küll
'surely'
kõne 'talk, speech', sõna
'word'; julge 'bold'

Loanwords
Proto-Indo- koib 'leg', kõrv 'ear', kube 'groin', liha 'meat', lõug 'chin', nahk 'skin, leather', rind
5000–
European appr. 'breast'; mägi 'hill, mountain', mets 'forest', nõmm 'moor', soo 'bog'; ahven 'perch',
3000
loans 50 koger 'crucian carp', koha 'pike-perch', rääbis 'vendace', siig 'whitefish', vimb
BC
(hypothetical) 'vimba bream'; helmes 'bead'
Indo-
3000– jumal 'god', koda 'house, hall', mesi 'honey', sool 'salt', osa 'part', sada 'hundred',
European 20–
1000 põrsas 'piglet', rebane 'fox', varss 'calf', sarv 'horn', puhas 'clean', utt 'ewe', vasar
and Indo- 45
BC 'hammer', vedama 'to pull, draw, drag, carry, drive'
Iranian loans
hammas 'tooth', hani 'goose', hein 'hay', hernes 'pea', hõim 'tribe', oinas 'weather',
Proto-Baltic 1500–
100– puder 'porridge', põrgu 'hell', ratas 'wheel', seeme 'seed', sein 'wall', mets 'wood',
and Baltic 500
150 luht 'waterside meadow', sõber 'friend', tuhat 'thousand', vagu 'furrow', regi 'sledge',
loans BC
vill 'wool', veel 'more, still', kael 'neck', kirves 'axe', laisk 'lazy'
Agriculture: agan, ader 'plough', humal, kana 'hen', kaer 'oats', rukis 'rye', lammas
'sheep', leib 'bread', põld 'field'
Fishing and seafaring: aer 'oar', mõrd 'fish trap', laev 'ship', noot 'seine, sweep
net', puri 'sail'
Proto- Metals: kuld 'gold', raud 'iron', tina 'tin'
2000
Germanic Products: sukk 'stocking', katel 'kettle', küünal 'candle', taigen 'dough'
BC –
and 380
13th Society: kuningas 'king', laen 'loan', luna 'ransom, bail', raha 'money', rikas 'rich',
Germanic
century
loans vald 'parish, community'
Nature: kalju 'rock', kallas 'shore', rand 'coast'
Other: arbuma 'to magic, charm', tabama 'to catch, seize, capture, hit', armas
'dear', taud 'disease', kaunis 'beautiful', ja 'and'

10th– aken 'window', haug 'pike', kasukas 'fur coat' sahk 'plough', sirp 'sickle', turg
Old Slavic 50–
13th 'market', teng(elpung) 'money'
loans 75
century Religion: pagan 'heathen', papp 'priest', raamat 'book', rist 'cross'
kanep 'hemp', lääts 'lentil', magun 'poppy', udras 'otter', kõuts 'tomcat', palakas
6th–
Proto-Latvian 'sheet', lupard 'rag', harima 'cultivate, educate, clean',kukkel 'bun', vanik 'garland',
40 7th
loans laabuma 'to thrive', kauss 'bowl', mulk 'inhabitant of Viljandi county', pastel 'leather
century
slipper'
Low Saxon 750 12th– kool 'school', neer 'kidney', ribi 'rib'; kruus 'gravel', torm 'storm';
loans 16th
Botany: kõrvits 'pumpkin', peet 'beet', salat 'salad', petersell 'parsley', münt 'coin',
century
köömen 'caraway, cumin', loorber 'laurel', palm 'palm (tree)', tamm 'dam', roos
'rose', ploom 'plum'; hunt 'wolf; hound'
Culinary: köök 'kitchen', kruubid 'groat', kringel 'kringle, type of pastry', pannkook
'pancake', pekk 'lard', prantssai 'type of pastry', sült 'brawn', vorst 'sausage', õli 'oil',
tärklis 'starch', pruukost 'breakfast', kruus 'mug', pann 'pan', pütt 'barrel', korv
'basket', lähker 'bota', toober 'tub', tiik 'pond', lamp 'lamp', lühter 'chandelier'
Clothing: käärid 'scissors', teljed 'looms', vokk 'spinning wheel', lõuend 'canvas',
samet 'velvet', siid 'silk', vilt 'felt', kuub 'coat', kört 'skirt', loor 'veil', müts 'cap', muda
'mud', mantel 'coat', püksid 'pants, trousers', vammus 'coat', nööp 'button'
Architecture: hoov 'courtyard', häärber 'mansion', kelder 'cellar', kemmerg 'toilet',
korsten 'chimney', ruum 'room', saal 'hall', tall 'stables', trepp 'stairs', vall 'wall,
ridge', võlv 'vault'
Technology: haamer 'hammer', hing 'hinge', höövel 'planer', kellu 'trowel', kapp
'cupboard', pink 'bench', tool 'stool'; jaht 'hunt', jääger 'hunter, hunt manager, game
warden', kants 'stronghold', kütt 'hunter', laager 'camp', lahing 'battle', piir 'border',
püss 'gun, rifle', tääk 'bayonet', vaht 'watch'
Religion: altar 'altar', ingel 'angel', jünger 'disciple', psalm 'psalm', prohvet
'prophet', salm 'verse', preester 'priest', troost 'consolation', pihtima 'to confess',
vöörmünder 'church warden, beadle',piiskop 'bishop', sant 'beggar, cripple'
 People: preili 'miss, maiden', memm 'old woman', mats 'boor, hick', härra
'gentleman', proua 'lady', kelm 'dodger, rascal, cheat', narr 'joker, fool', naaber
'neighbour', kuller 'courrier', laat 'fair, market', selts 'society, club', krahv 'count',
saks 'German, nobleman', arst 'doctor', plaaster 'tape, plaster'; hangeldama
'smuggle', küürima 'scour', tingima 'to bargain'
Measures: kortel 'quartern', matt 'a measure', toll 'inch', vaagima 'to weigh', viht
'weight', üür 'rent', paar 'pair', piik 'spike, lance', tosin 'dozen', veerand 'quarter';
näärid 'new year', reede 'Friday', tund 'hour', vastlad 'shrovetide'
Nautical: ankur 'anchor', kiil 'keel', tüür 'steer', praam 'pram, ferry', madrus 'sailor',
pootsman 'boatswain', kotermann 'ship gremlin', loots 'pilot', kipper 'skipper'
Arts: kaart 'map, card', kunst 'art', maaler 'painter', maalima 'to paint', paber
'paper', trükkima 'to print', uurima 'to search, study, survey', trumm 'drum', tantsima
'to dance', piip 'pipe', vilepill 'whistle', pasun 'horn, trumpet'; just 'just, namely',
topelt 'double', väärt 'valuable'

13th– kratt 'stealing demon', kroonu 'army, government', kuunar 'schooner', pagar 'baker',
Swedish
140 17th näkk 'mermaid, nix', plasku 'flask', plika 'girl', tasku 'pocket', räim 'herring', tünder
loans
century 'barrel', moor 'old woman', puldan, tont 'ghost, demon'
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,
14th–
Russian morss, samagon; batoon, kissell, plombiir , povidlo, šašlõkk, uhhaa; plotski,
350 20th
loans mahorka, pabeross; mannerg, kopsik; nuut, kantsik, piits, tupik, relss, jaam; kabi,
century
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
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 ,
(High) 16th–
latter, kabel, palat; pult, sohva, leen, kummut, kardin, sahtel; uur, klade, klamber,
German 500 20th
latern, sihverplaat, silt; opman, oober, tisler, tudeng, velsker, virtin, antvärk, aadlik,
loans century
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
19th–
aare, sangar, harras, jenka, julm, jäik, sünge,tehas, uljas, vaist, vihjama, säilima,
Finnish loans 90 20th
kuvama, haihtuma, anastama
century
Hebrew
<5 jaana(lind) 'ostrich', tohuvabohu 'chaos'
loans
Romani
<5 manguma 'to beg'
loans

Other
 räni 'silicium', roie 'rib', salk 'bunch', videvik 'twilight', jäärak 'gorge, valley', ila 'saliva', aas
Estonian
appr. 'meadow', lubi 'lime', lõhn 'smell', kaan 'leech', kesv 'barley', ürp 'cloak', hiili- 'to sneak', mahe
and
1000 'sweet, gentle', mõru 'bitter', raip 'carrion', roni- 'to climb' + numerous onomatopoetic-descriptive
unknown
words
veenma 'to persuade, convince',roim 'crime' (probably derived from the English 'crime'),laip
'dead body, corpse' (probably derived from the German 'Leib'), kolp 'scull', relv 'weapon, arm', ese
'thing', süüme 'conscience; scruple',mõrv 'murder' (probably derived from the German 'Mord'),
ulm 'dream', siiras 'sincere, candid', range 'rigorous, stern, severe, austere, strict, inexorable,
50– relentless' (? German 'streng', Swedish 'sträng'),sulnis 'sweet, meek, mild', nõme 'silly', taunima
Artificial
60 'to disapprove, deprecate, deplore',naasma 'to return', reetma 'to betray' (probably from the
German '(ver)raten'), embama 'to embrace'; eirama 'to ignore', eramu 'private house', etlema 'to
perform', kõlar 'loudspeaker', külmik 'refrigerator', meede 'measure', meene 'souvenir', siirdama 'to
transplant', teave 'information', teismeline 'teenager', teler 'TV set', üllitis 'publication', ärandama,
levima, süva(muusika), taies 'piece of art', rula 'skateboard'

References
1. Liin, Helgi 1968. Alamsaksa laensõnadest 16. ja 17. sajandi eesti kirjakeeles. – Emakeele Seltsi aastaraamat 13,
1967. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 47–70(in Estonian)
2. History of Estonian vocabulary(http://www.fillu.edu.ee/sisu.php?id=30&teema=2) (in Estonian)
3. See p. 149 in Zuckermann, Ghil'ad 2003, Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew
, Houndmills:
Palgrave Macmillan, (Palgrave Studies in Language History and Language Change, Series editor: Charles Jones).
ISBN 1-4039-1723-X.
4. See p. 150 in Zuckermann, Ghil'ad 2003, Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew
, Houndmills:
Palgrave Macmillan, (Palgrave Studies in Language History and Language Change, Series editor: Charles Jones).
ISBN 1-4039-1723-X.

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