Names
Metsaveere (Metsaveere)
Edge of the forest. Initially known as Aleksandrovi / Александровская ул. (1915-1925), then, unusually, Tulika and its German counterpart Hahnenfußstraße (and who else would have come up with the idea of ‘rooster’s foot’ to describe the buttercup?) contemporarily with the street in Kristiine of the same name from 1931 to 1959. Also Halla from 1940-1941.
Metsniku (Metsnik)
Forester, woodman, gamekeeper. One of an occupational street-name group. See Raiduri.
Mihkli (Mihkel)
Michael: former farm name.
Miinisadama (Miinisadam)
Not mini-harbor but Mine Harbor, built in the very early 1900s as ‘Peter the Great Harbor’ to service ships involved with mines. Group of five ports/harbors in Kalamaja. See Noblessneri.
Miku (Mikk?)
Given the predominance of garden centers, market gardeners and florists in the area, perhaps a former farm name, ‘descendent’ of a poolmõis (see Mõisa) known in 1913 as Ges. Miku. (Mikk’s dependency). What the original name was is uncertain. Mikk:Miku was an Estonian name, probably a diminutive of Est. Mihkel, calqued on German Michael, so possibly after an Est. farm manager. Streetname replaces that of eastern half of former Kiviaia. Bit of an enigma too: looks like it’s in Iru but KNAB lists it in Laiaküla, and the street may actully be the demarcation line between them, possibly explaining the otherwise excellent Nerman & Lõhmus leaving it out of their index completely.
