Names
Välgu (Välk)
Lightning. Useful expression: Välk ja pauk! ≈ “Damn it!” Lit. “Lightning and crash / bang / (rumble?)!” (unrelated, but pauk is reminiscent of Lithuanian perkunija, for thunderstorm, thunder and lightning). Readers of Pratchett’s earlier Discworld novels will be pleased to know that one possible translation of ‘to coruscate’ is välkuma. Its designation as a street is a bit optimistic, unless you accept 10 m of tarmac and 2 heaps of gravel as a concept of a street leading, in theory, to its non-existent meteorological partner Pikse. There used to be another Välgu in Nõmme, a Soviet occupation renaming (1960-1989) of Glehni N.v.
Valguse (Valgus)
Light, daylight, flame, blaze, lighting, illumination. Runs straight into Hämariku, causing grief and vigorous letter-writing from the local Feng Shui association.
Valguta (?)
Former farm name. The ‘Val’ is said to relate to valgma, a place for berthing boats between lines of rocks extending into the sea (see Lauteri A.), but at 2 km from the coast that’s a bit of a stretch. Could well be just a farm dependency along the lines of, e.g. Fahl’s/Wahl’s Gut.
Välja (Väli)
Field, plain, green, tract of open country, suggesting broad, expansive, outdoor spaces, or a share of farmland with some kind of border... In compound words, as in the 10 Tallinn examples (see e.g. Heinavälja), it can also mean ‘without’ (i.e. ‘outside’) or ‘beyond’, or, as suffix, could indicate a farm name.
Valli (Vall)
Wall, rampart, earthwork. Also means halyard, but not in this particular instance. Previous name of walliwahe (±1913) rejected for sounding too much like a Scotsman arguing with porridge.
Valukoja (Valukoda)
Foundry, forge, ironworks. Part of a mini iron-working group. See also Ääsi.
