Names
Pärna J. (Jakob Pärn, 1843-1916)
Popular writer of (moralizing) children’s books. Also, Chapter 1 of his Must Kuub (black coat, i.e., that of the traditional Estonian costume), 1913, is said to be the first major depiction of eroticism in Estonian literature. Also, and for what reason I cannot imagine, this was the first Estonian story ever translated into Finnish.
Pärnade (Pärnad [pl.])
Aka (Sing.) harilik pärn, small-leaved lime, little-leaf linden or greenspire linden, Tilia cordata. Its fragrant flowers are very popular with bees and makers of herbal tea. The bottom layers of bast used to be used for mats, cord, and viisud, peasant shoes/slippers made from bast (which sometimes only lasted a day or so), hence one of its other names: niinepuu, lit. bast tree. The oldest lime tree in Tallinn (if its grandson is to be trusted) is believed to be the one near Niguliste, known as Kelchi pärn after the church’s almost pastor and early historian of Livonia Christian Kelch (1657-1710) who reputedly died of the plague and was buried beside selfsame tree shortly before employment but well after completion of Liefländische Historia, oder kurtze Beschreibung der Denkwürdigsten Kriegs- und Friedens-Geschichte Esth- Lief- und Lettlandes [...] biss auffs 1690 Jahr (1695), a chronicle which mysteriously sold fewer copies than Barbara Cartland’s rather predictable Revenge of the Heart (1984) and only goes to show there’s no accounting for taste.
Pärnamäe (Pärnamägi)
Lime hill. See Mäe for discussion.
Pärnaõie (Pärnaõis)
Lime blossom, commonly used as herbal infusion, used for bringing the temperature down, among other things.
Pärniku (Pärnik)
Lime-tree grove.
Pärnu (Pärnu)
Estonia’s ‘summer capital’, coastal town in the south-west, with beaches, hydrotherapy, mud baths and spas. Known as Pernau during its time as Hanseatic town, providing ice-free access to the then Livonia. Pärnu maantee may not be the longest street in Tallinn, but it crosses the greatest number of Sub-districts (asumid): 15 – Hiiu, Järve, Kitseküla, Kivimäe, Liiva, Nõmme, Pääsküla, Rahumäe, Südalinn, Tatari, Tõnismäe, Uus Maailm, Vanalinn and Veerenni. Other than its regular Rus. and Ger. translations, also formerly known as Riia mnt or Rigische Straße, Pärnu being about halfway to the Latvian capital. One of Tallinn’s former (need I say) execution sites was at No.7, see Vana-Veerenni. The road is part of the E67 from Helsinki to Prague, and terminus of the Tallinn-Pärnu railway.
