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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.

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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

Vanemuise (Vanemuine)

God of music composed by Faehlmanni F.R. and Weizenberg A. in their Estonian mythology, name borrowed from Finnish Väinämöinen of folklore and Kalevala fame, giving its name to a theatre in Tartu. The name may well come from Finnish väinämö, minstrel, but see Väina (my original interpretation that it came from ‘old’, vanha in Finnish and vana in Estonian (or vanem, elder, see Kuninga), is almost certainly wrong, and some people wouldn’t say ‘almost’). Part of a small Estonian mythology street-name group. See Haldja.

Vaniku (Vanik)

Wreath, garland, chaplet, ranging from the traditional garland of flowers to the increasingly popular garland of autumn leaves draped below the window, to woven headdresses. Previously known by its Pelgulinn synonym Pärja in 1959.

Väo (Väo) Symbol designating a Tallinn "Asum", or Sub-district.

After one-time village east of Tallinn, first recorded in LCD as Uvætho (1241), followed by Vethe (1298), Vewenkülle (1389), Feht (1674), Feht Hoff (1689), Wehokylla (?), Waeo (1871) and Faeht (1913). Also a road called Väo tee once known as Fähtscher Weg. Settlements recorded as far back as the Bronze Age. Located near the Pirita river rapids, its name is suggested to come from an earlier root of vedama, to draw, tug, convey, etc., *Vädu or *Vedu, loaned from PIE *wed-, about which see both Vee and, more particularly, Lükati. The name was later given to a linnamõis (see Mõisa) a kilometer or so NNW, owned at one stage by one of the Jobst Duntes, so also known as Tondi Mõis (see Tondi and Tondiraba). Another Väo Mõis was located some 100-odd km SE of Tallinn.

Väomurru (Väomurd)

Metonym (usually kivimurd: murd = break/fraction) for the almost 500-ha Väo lubjakivimaardla ([Ordovician] limestone deposit) quarry in Väo.

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