Komandandi (Komandant)

Commandant. In 1856, Hans Heinrich Falck (see Falgi) bet Tallinn governor Baron Alexander Woldemar von Saltza (1801-1884, oddly, seemingly unrelated to Hermann von Salza [c. 1165-1239], fourth Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights) that he could build a road from Toompea to Paldiski within a month (which he paid for largely out of his own pocket). Falck won. Having lost the bet, Salza built this one at his own expense in 1860-61, earning its name of Kommandanten-Steg (commandant [foot-]bridge, 1882, see above-mentioned Toompea for details), later (1948-1989) purged and merged with Falgi into Nõukogude during the Soviet occupation, and renamed as Kominterni for a couple of months in 1941.

• Person
• Toompea
• Notable Estonians

Komeedi (Komeet)

Comet. This was a type example used by Aavik in his Keeleuuendus, or language renovation, for creating new words. To avoid convoluted expressions such as täht, mil saba on (periphrase): star, which has a tail; sabaga täht (syntagm): star with tail; or sabatäht (compound word): tail-star; all of which fail to meet his demand for simplicity, esthetics and efficiency, you pick a new one from selected sources and Bob sinu onu on! It was probably the comet which manifested the adoption of a medieval belief in the money-goblin (perhaps a hand-me-down from old legends of finders of hoards of gold [see Kalevipoja], not forgetting that Estonia has one of the richest collections of hoards in Europe), a helpful little chap that flew about collecting (nicking) milk, butter, grain, etc., for its master and/or causing discord between various parties; names of its multiple manifestations include: Tulihänd, fire-tail; Pisuhänd, spark-tail (also the title of what may be Vilde E.’s best-known play); and Kratt (see Kari). Celestial street-name group, see Kuu. Previously Tähe, (1908-1959) aka Sternstraße (not to be confused with Dunkri) (1907-?), reappearing in 1942 after the III Reich’s February 2^nd declaration that German was now the official state language in the besetzten Ostgebiete or Occupied Eastern Territories.