Kungla (Kungla)

A sort of pseudomythological Estonian Arcady that found its way into 19^th‑C Estonian writers’ minds and books. Believed invented by Kreutzwaldi F.R. and probably Esto-Swedish for place of king(s). The Swedish island of Gotland, Ojamaa in Est. (lit. island ‘land’, see Hiiu for long-winded and extremely rambling discussion), is named Kungla on some old maps. Estonia Klaverivabrik AS, the ‘Estonia’ piano works is at No.41.

Kuninga (Kuningas)

King. First recorded in 1434 as Koningstrate, with 2 main suggestions: 1. After 15^th‑C local resident Lambert Koningesberch; and 2. From a then-common surname of Konink, which may also have been used as a word for ‘county elders’, generally referred to as vanem, during the late(?) middle-ages.. Translated as Королевская ул. (Korolevskaya, 'royal street') in 1882, etc. Renamed (1948-1987) as Niguliste during the Soviet occupation.

Künka (Küngas): Mount, small hill, butte, knoll, hummock (see Mäe). King of the Castle is künkakuningas.

Künkamaa (Künkamaa)

Hilly country. Now we’re getting real (see Mäe). Named after a farm called Künka.

Künnapuu (Künnapuu)

Called European white or fluttering elm by the Brits and Russian elm by the Americans, Ulmus laevis. Interesting names! The first part comes from künnap (sinew, tendon, indicating its strength) and the Latin species name looks like a Latinized genitive of Estonian laev (ship). Appropriate, since its highly water-resistant timber has long been used for underwater piles, water pipes and ship-building. Sadly, it’s not. Despite Latinists rejecting the æ or ae in the word, botanists like it so there we are, and levis simply means ‘light’ or ‘smooth’, more the hairless variety, hence also youth and pallor, hence ‘white elm’.