Kiive (Kiive)

One of the numerous alternative or dialectal names for kiivitaja, the lapwing. Other local names include hirmutaja (the ‘frightener’), kiivits, poola kana (Polish chicken), sookajak (marsh gull), tillvitt, tüvitaja and vaenulind (hostile bird). Nice reputation. Two species breed in Estonia:

• kiivitaja, northern lapwing, aka peewit, etc., Vanellus vanellus
• valgesaba-kiivitaja, white-tailed lapwing, V. leucurus

Its rather loose translations sometimes give ‘plover’ but this is a member of the not quite settled subfamily Charadriinae which includes the lapwing, dotterel and plover. According to Kivi, the street was named after the bird often seen on former city commons and should have been Kiivitaja. Why a relatively obscure dialect term was chosen is unclear. The word also translates as ‘lateral torsional buckling’. Hope that helps.