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Suur-Karja (Suur-Kari)
Greater/Upper Cattle (also flock, pack, troop, crowd), once leading to pasture outside town. Earliest recorded names in a mix of various languages including vee strate, MLG for cattle or livestock street (1362), Kariestrate, Esto-MLG for cattle street (1365), Lat. Platea or Strata Pecorum, Cattle gate (see Karja värav), with an attempted later gentrification, not without a touch of condescension (starting in Latin, finishing in the vernacular) of strata pecorum vulgaritur vestrate, i.e. more or less ‘Beef Street, commonly known as Cow Street’ (1363-7) sociologically similar to the English post-Norman-Conquest use of ‘beef’, from the higher-status French term bœuf, instead of the everyday English cow/cattle. Known for a while as Michaelis-Straße / Михайловская ул. (1776), apparently after Russian victories of 1710 in the Great Northern War and a procession through the gate on Michaelmas day. Maybe. See also Väike-Karja.
Suur-Kloostri (Suur-Klooster)
Greater/Upper Abbey (convent, monastery, cloister...). After the Cistercian St. Michael’s Convent, Mihkli Klooster (1249-1629). Renamed (1950-1987) as Nooruse during the Soviet occupation.
Väike-Karja (Väike-Kari)
[Small, Lesser, Lower] Cattle. Written Veike-Karja in 1885, and known from 16-19th C as am, im or auf dem Schilde, by/in/on the shield, although why is unclear. TT, clearly uncertain about this, suggests a possible shield-shaped configuration of the Müürivahe and Karja streets, or signs (Schild in German) indicating Kuradi torn or a nearby watch-house (Schildhaus) as possible reasons. Recorded also as Малая Михайловская ул. (Malaya Mikhaylovskaya, Small Michael’s st), in 1907. See also Suur-Karja.
Rutu (Rutt)
Haste, hurry. Street in between Alexander Nevski Cathedral and Toom-Kirik in Kiriku plats, thus-named after the couriers or runners who used there to abide (but not for long, one hopes) in the Middle Ages. Anagram of Turu, see Turu tänav.
