Stroomi (?)

Stroomi Rand, unofficial name of Pelgurand, beach named after an inn called Stroomi kõrts or Stromischer Krug after one-time alderman Bengt Fromhold Strohm (1747?-early 19th C). Interestingly, another Strohm, perhaps his older brother, an iron-merchant called Johan Andreas Strohm (1744-89) is recorded as owning an inn at Tatari 1 in 1786, as well as 4 others in the suburbs. I’m not saying they were related, but I’m not saying they weren’t...

Viki (Vikk)

1) Common vetch; 2) limestone paste; 3) bung, spigot; 4) All that for nothing, ‘street’ no longer exists... Anagram of Kivi. Nevertheless, the English term ‘vetch’ cannot but instantly remind one of the genial Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811), scientist, geographer, and explorer, one of the precursor thinkers of Darwin’s theory of evolution and discoverer of numerous plant and animal (the cat, obviously) species, not to mention Ammodytes hexapterus, the sand eel, väike tobias (‘little Toby’, but see Nigli), which he mistook for a mollusk (we may forgive him) and, I’m getting there, the vetch Astragalus alopecurus. Odd, this is not a street. For some, perhaps an abbreviation for the so-called Vikimõisa ‘Ward’, for others, an underhand addition to a paper map designed to trap plagiarists.

NB: If anyone can help me get my greasy hands on Pallas’ multilingual dictionary I would be exceedingly grateful to the extent of rewarding said person with cash and/or a pint, whichever you can afford to buy me ;o)

Roheline aas (0)

Green meadow. ‘Green’ comes in three species, along with Roheline turg and Roheline tänav (warning! in Estonian alphabetical order, see Intro). Called Grüne Wiese or Grüner Platz (meadow & square, respectively) in the 19^th C, it was also known as Екатеринентальский луг (Catherine’s meadow) at the same time, probably after Catherine I of Russia, see Katariina.