Anni (And)

Gift, present, talent, endowment. The gift here apparently was sacrificial... Renamed (1979-1994/5) as Kullmani L. during the Soviet occupation. Part of a magico-mythological group. See Arbu.

Anveldi J.

(Jaan Anvelt, 1884-1937)

Also known as Eessaare Aadu, Jaan Holm, Jaan Hulmu, Kaarel Maatamees, Onkel Kaak and Н. Альтъ. Estonian revolutionary, writer, leader of the Communist Party of Estonia, Premier of Soviet Estonia, died as a result of persuasive cross-examination in 1937 but blessed to be redeemed as a “good communist” by Khrushchev. One of the rare Estonian communists to have a Wikipedia page devoted to him in Tamil, see ஜான் ஆன்வெல்ட், and if you don’t find that writing beautiful you have no soul. Soviet era renaming (1957-1991) of Kivisilla and Reimani V.

Ao (Agu)

Early dawn, daybreak. Built on land occupied by former copper foundry. Part of the dawn and dusk triad, see Eha. Not only one of the three shortest street names in Tallinn (although WW doesn’t really count), but the only possible anagram of Oa.

Apteegi (Apteek)

Chemist’s, pharmacy, apothecary’s. Named after Tallinn’s oldest, the nearby Raeapteegi mentioned as far back as 1422. Apteegi as street name was first given in municipal records of 1611 as Apoteker Gasse, with later (1614) marginalia alters die Lütke Schröder Strasse (formerly the Little Tailor’s street). Prior to this (1389), the street was known/described as parva platea sartorum, qua itur de foro ad monachos (little road of the ‘tailors’ [see below], which goes from the market to the monks, i.e., today, to Vene), and before that (1368) platea monachorum, road of the monks, these being the Dominican Friars (see Dominiiklaste). Note on tailors... the Latin sartor indicates someone who repairs, and stitching wounds to Saville Row is as far as barbers to surgeons (cf. the red and white spiraled barber’s pole: red for blood-letting and white for bandages). So the street probably specialized in buttons and bones, leeches and breeches. Makes you glad to live in the 21^st‑C.

Arbu (Arp)

Word with twofold, connected meaning: ‘lot’ (i.e. something drawn at random) and magic, contrivance. In Saaremaa and probably other areas too, when common land was shared among villagers, the plots were distributed by lots (cf. alloting, allotment). Arb:arva was the term for the narrow plot used in strip-farming, which, given the chance involved in terms of quality, location, farmability, etc., understandably evolved into its later meaning (but might it have been the other way round?). A similar relationship exists between English ‘lot’ (chance) and ‘lot’ (of land). Arbujad (sorcerers, soothsayers, shamans) was an influential group of Estonian poets (often called ‘Magicians of the Word’ in English) created in 1938, whose rather anti-totalitarian attitude did not endear them to the censors. Rebaptized (1979-1995) as Võrgu V. during the Soviet occupation. Part of a magico-mythological group. See Kahu.