Õismäe (Õismägi)

Lit. Flower/Blossom hill. After a historic Haabersti estate, and perhaps nothing to do with flowers at all… First recorded in relation to a Heuschlag Heise Nehm (1646, which DEPn annotates as ‘meadow’ but could [gross speculation follows…] translate as ‘hay harvest’ (mod. Ger. Heuernte, from MLG hoiārne, houwārne, etc.) named after Heise or (if Nehm comes from MLG nēmen), Heise’s booty, or taken by Heise, or result from a faulty copy/translation (i>u) where “Heuschlag Heise Nehm” means “Heuschlag (fast harvest), i.e. Heise Nehm (hay taking)”…; followed by Eismeggi (1697), Essemäggi (1798), Ейснеме (1808, Eisneme), Gesinde Eismäggi (1868, Eismäggi ‘dependents’, any of a noble’s entourage, from companions to farm-hands and servants, so probably a kõrvalmõis, see Mõisa). Heise may also be another spelling of personal name Heysze, DEPn notes a 1516 Tallinn mayor called Heysze Pattiner, without implying he was the specific one). See also Mäe for discussion.