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Virbi (Virp)
An obscure word denoting a malevolent essence – human, animal, neither – ‘from the other side’, a Pratchett-like Lord or Lady, in Estonian an eksitaja, somebody or something that leads you astray. A possible synonym of nõidus, malefice, wicked enchantment, etc. Similar words, etymologically unrelated but sharing lexical qualities (think slither and slime, squelch and belch), include virvatuli (will-o’-the-wisp or ignus fatuus), vilbus is an old name for a ghost, and virp:virbi is a Setu word for ghost, apparition or wraith. Renamed (1979-1995) as Velikije Luki during the Soviet occupation. Place-names on the northernmost tip of Naissaar (island off NE coast of Tallinn known, optimistically, by Adam of Bremen as Terra feminarum, land of women) such as Virbikünka and Virbikalda, are not related to this, and seem to be of Swedish origin, fyr for fire, thence beacon or lighthouse, one of which happens to be right next door and has been since its first wooden version of 1788. Then again, how old is virp? To be continued. Part of a magico-mythological group. See Anni. For lighthouses, see also Majaka.
Visase (Visane?)
Name of a former farm along whose border the road now runs. But what the name means is obscure. In the coastal region of Kuusalu some 20-50 km east of Tallinn, visane means pus-producing, suppurating or weeping (as in wounds) but one could happily imagine a dynasty of agriculturalists preferring a more client-friendly appellation. And the only other locations with Visase in their names are two very exciting fields in Pärnumaa: Ülem- and Alem-Visase (upper- and lower-Visase). So, we don’t have much to go by. Visa is a Finnish surname and possibly the closest geographically, but no evidence to this effect. The Eesti kohanimeraamat (Estonian placenames dictionary) provides one or two possible origins: Visse, a personal name recorded in 1744 as Wissi, then Wiissi and Vissi, etc., from the southern half of Estonia in the villages of Võnnu (Tartumaa) and Kiidjärv (Põlvamaa); while in Valgjärve (Põlvamaa), some 15 km further west, there was another Vissi, recorded in 1582 and 1601 as Wiesth and Wisse respectively. The suggestion that the latter comes from Polish wiesęcę, an obscure word said to mean ‘notice’ or ‘rumor’, seems unlikely, but it could come from the Livonian name, Vesithe. And while this area, loosely, was one of Old Believer immigration from Russia (see Sikuti), a derivative of Vissarion (Виссарио́н) is tempting but would require a clear post-1666 dating to apply. Without historical dating, there’s a minor multitude of other possible source names: Wiesenau, Wierecke, Wiessle, Wieso, Visela, Vysell, Wizylla, etc... Yet another, for post-17th-C namings, is a derivative of the then increasingly popular French name Louis, generating Luise, hence Lovissa, the diminutive or short form of which is Viisa, although it’s hard to imagine the Sun King ploughing the sod (not that sort) in his pretty little shoes of which he had 5000 pairs, but I digress. My last shot, with no pretensions to exactitude, is a possible offshoot of visa (meaning tough, tenacious, gritty or, in the case of diseases: obstinate, not too far in meaning from our festering sore above, etc.). If anyone offers you a better explanation, I’d take their word for it. All this comes under what I call the Lost Art of Forgetting.
Võidu (Võit)
Victory, success, triumph, achievement... Very popular street name! There is a puiestik in Rahumae; a põik (formerly Lõhmuse) in Männiku; a tänav in various parts of Nõmme; a Soviet occupation renaming of Vabaduse puiestee in 1941; and various Soviet occupation renamings of Vabaduse väljak as Võiduväljak first in 1941 then from 1948-1966, and as Võidu väljak from 1966-1989.
Võidujooksu (Võidujooks)
Footrace, race. Odd, usually for humans, but named after the Tallinna Ratsaspordi Selts (Tallinn Equestrian Club). First race: 1884.
