Names
Viiralti E.
(Eduard Viiralt [Wiiralt], 1898-1954)
One of Estonia’s more outstanding artists, born in St Petersburg province. A “sympathetic, balanced and humble man” (Toivo Miljan: Historical Dictionary of Estonia), Viiralt spent most of his life in Paris (and, buried in Père-Lachaise cemetery, death too), traveling widely, leaving a significant collection of drawings and prints. It has been suggested that absinthe was not a million miles away from his copperplate of Põrgu, Hell. Has a tree in Viljandi named after him for a 1943 drawing he did, Viljandi maastik (Viljandi landscape), a copy of which recently sold at auction for just over €11,000. Street previously known as Janseni, Jannseni, etc, (1924-59), see Jannseni J.V.
Viirpuu (Viirpuu)
The Hawthorn, none of the Estonian species seem to have an English name, so I’ll create some and see what that does to the botanical nomenclature:
- Daugava viirpuu, Divine hawthorn, C. dunensis
- Eesti viirpuu, Lumpy hawthorn, C. estonica
- Harilik viirpuu, Basic hawthorn, C. rhipidophylla
- Kupfferi viirpuu, Trouty hawthorn, C. kupfferi
- Kuramaa viirpuu, de Troyes’ hawthorn, Crataegus curonica
- Lääne-viirpuu, facepalm hawthorn, C. palmstruchii
- Lindmani viirpuu, Harpy hawthorn, C. lindmanii
- Rand-viirpuu, Holiday hawthorn, C. maritima
- Saaremaa viirpuu, WeirdO hawthorn, C. osiliensis
- Viidumäe viirpuu, Tarry-up-the-Hill Hawthorn, C. viidumaegica.
Viisi (Viis)
Looks like a loan word from French vis, but derived from MLG wise, meaning (as well as mode, fashion, way, manner…, think ‘likewise’) melody, tune or air, which, next to Lauliku, it is. Note too that viis:viie means 5.
Vikerkaare (Vikerkaar)
Rainbow.
Vikerlase (Vikerlane)
Estonian viking. Vikerlased (Vikings), was the first Estonian opera to be written, premièred in Tartu’s Vanamuise theatre on 8th Sept. 1928. Renamed (1979-1995) as Kuramaa during the Soviet occupation. And the point of that was?... Odd intruder to the magico-mythological group perhaps influenced by its alphabetical predecessor Varraku. Part of a magico-mythological group. See Vilisuu.
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)
