Streetsign reading "Tallinn Streets dot com" Header

Work in progress

A pile of ro ad signs half-trashed and piled up on a building-site, to indicate the site is in construction.

Website under construction, a couple of entries still pending, no photos with the streets yet, layout not finalized...

This started with a book (last few pages under review) and so far 1889 of the 1891 articles entered, 1 or 2 links may go nowhere.

Logo of the Tallinn Children's Hospital Foundation

The Book

All author earnings of A Rambling Dictionary of Tallinn Street Names to be donated to the foundation or donate here.

If anyone could help or advise as to the legal mechanism, it would be appreciated, thanks!

The Website

Not intended at the beginning, the present website is taking on a life of its own, with plans for relevant discussion forums, picture galleries and, over time, more non-streetname entries.

In theory, it will be funded by advertising relevant to people in Tallinn, to be determined.

A percentage of profits (also to be determined) to be donated to the foundation. 

Contact

Photograph of Simon Hamilton in Pikk street, Tallinn.

Apparently, a company that uses its owner's name is considered more trustworthy because they put themselves on the line.

This is me, in Tallinn this spring (2025), on a 3-month spree to check details, take photos (about 12K), explore (ave. 15K/day), and so on. I think I covered every street in Kesklinn (apart from Mõigu), most of Põhja-Tallinn and some Kristiine.

For information, please contact Simon at this address dot com, thanks!

Home

Tildri (Tilder)

Redshank, greenshank, sandpiper. Breeding in Estonia:

  • Hallkibu aka kibutilder, terek sandpiper, Xenus cinereus
  • Heletilder, common greenshank, Tringa nebularia
  • Lammitilder, marsh sandpiper, T. stagnatilis
  • Metstilder, green sandpiper, T. ochropus
  • Mudatilder, wood sandpiper, T. glareola
  • Punajalg-tilder, common redshank, T. totanus
  • Tumetilder, spotted redshank, T. erythropus
  • Vihitaja aka jõgitilder, common sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos

Part of the Lilleküla bird-name group of streets. See also Varese.

Timuti (Timut)

Timothy grass, cat’s-tail. Formerly known as Tarabella (1910-1939). Today, part of a fodder and staples street-name group. See Õle.

Tirdi (Tirt)

Grasshopper. This could also be the common-or-garden cicada, which sings so sweetly in the suburbs but could equally be any leafhopper, treehopper or spittlebug. Insect, plant and bird names can be extremely variable and fuzzy. Trust me on this.

Tohu (1] Toht; 2] Tohk; 3] Tohu)

1] Birch bark; 2] Stern of small boat; and 3] Mist, haze. The earliest-known written document in Finno-Ugric – Tohtkiri (birch bark letter) No.292 – was carved on birch bark in the first half of the 13th C in a dialect of the Olonets Karelia region. Although its meaning is far from clear (jumolanuliinimiži | nulisě[x]anoliomobu | [xu]molasudьnipoxov[i], QED), it seems to involve God and arrows, and may well be an incantation or ‘thunder spell’; Tohtkiri No.403, incidentally, has been said to be a “Finnic-Slavic business travelers’ lexicon” although with only six words cheat-sheet may be a better description. Street forms a loop off Kase, so 1] is the most likely.

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Advertise...

Your business, store or consultancy next to your street address and a percentage of your fee (to be determined) goes the the Children's Hospital fund.

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Post your favorite local photo and sponsor the foundation. Your entire sponsorship goes go the the Children's Hospital fund

Wanted!

Beautiful photos of your street or Tallinn! Send them in! No remuneration planned for now, but will be attributed according to your preferences.