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Work in progress

A pile of ro ad signs half-trashed and piled up on a building-site, to indicate the site is in construction.

Website under construction, many entries missing, no photos with the streets yet, layout not finalized...

This started with a book (last few pages under review) and so far 1814 of the 1884 articles (A to Z, with 50-odd Ts remaining) entered so far, so some 5% of the links go nowhere.

Logo of the Tallinn Children's Hospital Foundation

The Book

All author earnings of A Rambling Dictionary of Tallinn Street Names to be donated to the foundation or donate here.

If anyone could help or advise as to the legal mechanism, it would be appreciated, thanks!

The Website

Not intended at the beginning, the present website is taking on a life of its own, with plans for relevant discussion forums, picture galleries and, over time, more non-streetname entries.

In theory, it will be funded by advertising relevant to people in Tallinn, to be determined.

A percentage of profits (also to be determined) to be donated to the foundation. 

Contact

Photograph of Simon Hamilton in Pikk street, Tallinn.

Apparently, a company that uses its owner's name is considered more trustworthy because they put themselves on the line.

This is me, in Tallinn this spring (2025), on a 3-month spree to check details, take photos (about 12K), explore (ave. 15K/day), and so on. I think I covered every street in Kesklinn (apart from Mõigu), most of Põhja-Tallinn and some Kristiine.

For information, please contact Simon at this address dot com, thanks!

Names

Alle A.

(August Alle, 1890-1952)

Son of a stone-mason, studied medicine and law. Poet, columnist and publicist. Editor of the Estonian literary journal Looming (Creation) from 1948. Street formerly known as Voolu.

Allika (Allikas)

Spring, source, fountain, wellspring, fountainhead. After a spring located at the end of the road in the courtyard of Tatari 24, mentioned as early as 14th C. Two streets claim ancestry from an earlier Quellenstrasse, spring street: this one and Lätte.

Alliksoo (Alliksoo) 

The ‘usual’ (older?) spelling is allikasoo, from genitive allikas:allika and soo. But allik:alliku also exists, so it could be either alliku dropping the ‘u’ or allika dropping the ‘a’, both for reasons of consonance or – like pottsepp and its alternative potisepp (see Ahju), combining two nominatives – from nominative allik. Since this is not listed in EKSS, while allikasoo is, it’s probably fair to assume a simple spelling or dialect variant of the same thing: ‘spring fen’ or ‘spring water bog’, in other words a water-rich marsh. Street with the following approximate lineage: Luha (?-1922), Soo (1922-1940), Kaisla (1940-1941), Soo again (1941-1991), and finally Alliksoo. On of a hydrology-themed sector, see Häilu. Both tee and põik.

Allveelaeva (Allveelaev)

Submarine. Lit. all-under, vee-water, laev-ship. See! Estonian’s easy :o) Another street by the docks. See Noblessneri.

Alvari (Alvar)

Limestone region covered with thin topsoil and stunted vegetation (see Lageloo). Anagram of Ravila.

Amburi (Ambur)

Archer, bowman, Sagittarius. Close to Maleva and Uus-Maleva, and hence member of a mini military mêlée. See Kilbi.

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Wanted!

Beautiful photos of your street or Tallinn! Send them in! No remuneration planned for now, but will be attributed according to your preferences.