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!

Names

Tuulenurga (Tuulenurk)

‘Windy corner’, athough the nurk:nurga ending could also refer to a paddock. Estification of the earlier ‘Windeck’ summer house, streetname replacing the western strip of Kose in (what seems to be called, perhaps informally) Windecki park, former poolmõis (see Mõisa) once known as Weissi. Should I dig deeper? No.

Tuuleveski (Tuuleveski)

Windmill. One of a wind-themed group. See Tuuliku.

Tuuliku (Tuulik)

Windmill. At No.4c, there’s an Arvutimuuseum (computer museum). For those still blissfully unaware of the changes reshaping the world, think on this: you use computers, Estonia has a computer museum… One of a wind-themed group. See Veskilise.

Tuuslari (Tuuslar)

Wise man, sorcerer or witch who knows how to raise the winds (tuul = wind), possibly by whistling; sorcerer from Finland who tried to rape Kalevipoeg’s mother Linda. Wind-sorcery was a power Estonians commonly attributed to Finns. Thus named 1959-1960, then renamed as Liiviku.

Tüve (Tüvi)

Trunk (also trunk of body, or torso), stem, stalk, stock. Parallel to Kännu.

Tuvi (Tuvi)

Pigeon, Dove. Street and park, named after local saddler called Taubenheim, dovecot (Taube / Heim, German for pigeon or dove / home). From 1882 to 1959, traumatized by the horrendous Rechtschreibungsschmerz, Tallinn dodged and weaved between Tuvi, Tui and its plural Tuide. A similar situation in Pärnu ended up opting for Tui, which only goes to show. The following species breed (some far too much) in Estonia:

  • Kaelus-turteltuvi aka pargi-turteltuvi, Eurasian collared dove, Streptopelia decaocto
  • Kaelustuvi aka meigas (but see Meika and Meleka), common wood pigeon, Columba palumbus
  • Kodutuvi, feral (oddly, kodu translates as ‘home’) pigeon, C. livia
  • Suur-turteltuvi, oriental turtle dove, S. orientalis
  • Turteltuvi, European turtle dove, S. turtur
  • Õõnetuvi, stock pigeon, C. oenas

Anagram of Vuti.

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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.