South Estonian language
Encyclopedia
South Estonian emerged in the 17th century as a distinct language in Swedish Livonia
aside the North Estonian language spoken in Swedish Estonia
.
The first South Estonian grammar was compiled by Johann Gutslaff in 1648.
The South Estonian literary language (also Tartu literary language ) declined by the end of 19th century as the northern Estonian literary language (also Tallinn literary language ) became the standard for the Estonian literary language
.
After Estonia gained independence in 1918 the standardized Estonian language policies were implemented further throughout the country. The government officials during the era believed that the Estonian state needed to have one standard language for all its citizens that led to exclusion of South Estonian at schools. The ban on the instruction and speaking of South Estonian dialects in schools continued during Soviet occupation (1940–1990).
After Estonia regained independence in 1991 the Estonian government has begun supporting the protection and development of regional languages. The policy has led to the revival of South Estonian, a modernized literary form founded on historical South Estonian dialect Võro
has been created.
The other dialects of South Estonian language area include Mulgi, Tartu, and Seto
. Võro has remained furthest from the standard written Estonian language and has been least understood by speakers of other Estonian dialects.
The Leivu and Lutsi South Estonian enclaves in Latvia became extinct in the 20th century. The Kraasna enclave in Russia, still aware of their identity, has been assimilated linguistically by Russians.
The two different historical Estonian languages, North and South Estonian are based on the ancestors of modern Estonians migration into the territory of Estonia in at least two different waves, both groups speaking considerably different Finnic
vernaculars. Some of the most ancient isogloss
es within the Finnic languages separate South Estonian from the entire rest of the family, including a development *čk → tsk, seen in for example *kačku → Standard Estonian katk "plague", Finnish katku "stink", but South Estonian katsk; and a development *kc → tś, seen in for example *ükci "one" → Standard Estonian üks, Finnish yksi, but South Estonian ütś.
Modern standard Estonian has evolved on the basis of the dialects of Northern Estonia. However, in the 17th to 19th century in Southern Estonia literature was published in a standardized form of Southern Tartu and Northern Võro. This usage was called Tartu literary language or also South Estonian literary language. The written standard was used in the schools, churches and courts of the Võro and Tartu linguistic area but not in the Seto and Mulgi area.
The first South Estonian grammar was written by Johann Gutslaff in 1648 and a translation of the New Testament (Wastne Testament) was published in 1686. In 1806 the first Estonian newspaper Tarto-ma rahwa Näddali leht was published in South Estonian Tartu literary language.
Comparison of old South Estonian (Tartu) literary language, modern South Estonian (Võro) and modern standard Estonian:
Lord's Prayer
(Meie Esä) in old literary South Estonian (Tartu):
Meie Esä Taiwan: pühendetüs saagu sino nimi. Sino riik tulgu. Sino tahtmine sündigu kui Taiwan, niida ka maa pääl. Meie päiwälikku leibä anna meile täämbä. Nink anna meile andis meie süü, niida kui ka meie andis anname omile süidläisile. Nink ärä saada meid mitte kiusatuse sisse; enge pästä meid ärä kurjast: Sest sino perält om riik, nink wägi, nink awwustus igäwätses ajas. Aamen.
Lord's Prayer (Mi Esä) in modern literary South Estonian (Võro
):
Mi Esä taivan: pühendedüs saaguq sino nimi. Sino riik tulguq. Sino tahtminõ sündkuq, ku taivan, nii ka maa pääl. Mi päävälikku leibä annaq meile täämbä. Nink annaq meile andis mi süüq, nii ku ka mi andis anna umilõ süüdläisile. Ni saatku-i meid joht kiusatusõ sisse, a pästäq meid ärq kur’ast, selle et sino perält om riik ja vägi ni avvustus igävädses aos.
Aamõn.
Lord's Prayer (Meie isa) in modern standard Estonian
:
Meie isa, kes Sa oled taevas: pühitsetud olgu Sinu nimi. Sinu riik tulgu. Sinu tahtmine sündigu, nagu taevas nõnda ka maa peal. Meie igapäevast leiba anna meile tänapäev. Ja anna meile andeks meie võlad nagu meiegi andeks anname oma võlglastele. Ja ära saada meid kiusatusse, vaid päästa meid ära kurjast. Sest Sinu päralt on riik ja vägi ja au igavesti. Aamen.
The status of South Estonian began to diminish after the 1880s. Under the influence of the European liberal oriented nationalist movement it was decided that there must be one Estonian language. The beginning of the 20th century was the period for the rapid development of the Northern-based Estonian literary language.
The South Estonian language began to undergo a revival in the late 1980s. Today, South Estonian is used in the works of some of Estonia's most well known playwrights, poets, and authors. Most success has been achieved in promoting Võro language
and a new literary standard based on Võro. Tartu and Mulgi dialects have become nearly extinct.
Language example of the modern literary (Võro
) South Estonian
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
:
Kõik inemiseq sünnüseq avvo ja õiguisi poolõst ütesugumaidsis. Näile om annõt mudsu ja süämetunnistus ja nä piät ütstõõsõga vele muudu läbi käümä.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Swedish Livonia
- Swedish infantry and cavalry regiments:Infantry regiments:* Garnisonsregementet i Riga * Guvenörsregementet i Riga * Livländsk infanteribataljon I...
aside the North Estonian language spoken in Swedish Estonia
Swedish Estonia
The Duchy of Estonia , also known as Swedish Estonia, was a dominion of the Swedish Empire from 1561 until 1721, when it was ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Nystad, following its capitulation in the Great Northern War. The dominion arose when the northern parts of present-day Estonia were united...
.
The first South Estonian grammar was compiled by Johann Gutslaff in 1648.
The South Estonian literary language (also Tartu literary language ) declined by the end of 19th century as the northern Estonian literary language (also Tallinn literary language ) became the standard for the Estonian literary language
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
.
After Estonia gained independence in 1918 the standardized Estonian language policies were implemented further throughout the country. The government officials during the era believed that the Estonian state needed to have one standard language for all its citizens that led to exclusion of South Estonian at schools. The ban on the instruction and speaking of South Estonian dialects in schools continued during Soviet occupation (1940–1990).
After Estonia regained independence in 1991 the Estonian government has begun supporting the protection and development of regional languages. The policy has led to the revival of South Estonian, a modernized literary form founded on historical South Estonian dialect Võro
Võro language
The Võro language is a language belonging to the Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. Traditionally it has been considered a dialect of the South Estonian dialect group of the Estonian language, but nowadays it has its own literary language and is in search of official recognition as an...
has been created.
The other dialects of South Estonian language area include Mulgi, Tartu, and Seto
Seto language
Seto or Setu language is a dialect of the South Estonian or Võro language , spoken by about 5,000 people...
. Võro has remained furthest from the standard written Estonian language and has been least understood by speakers of other Estonian dialects.
The Leivu and Lutsi South Estonian enclaves in Latvia became extinct in the 20th century. The Kraasna enclave in Russia, still aware of their identity, has been assimilated linguistically by Russians.
History
Finnic languages
The term Finnic languages often means the Baltic-Finnic languages, an undisputed branch of the Uralic languages. However, it is also commonly used to mean the Finno-Permic languages, a hypothetical intermediate branch that includes Baltic Finnic, or the more disputed Finno-Volgaic languages....
vernaculars. Some of the most ancient isogloss
Isogloss
An isogloss—also called a heterogloss —is the geographical boundary of a certain linguistic feature, such as the pronunciation of a vowel, the meaning of a word, or use of some syntactic feature...
es within the Finnic languages separate South Estonian from the entire rest of the family, including a development *čk → tsk, seen in for example *kačku → Standard Estonian katk "plague", Finnish katku "stink", but South Estonian katsk; and a development *kc → tś, seen in for example *ükci "one" → Standard Estonian üks, Finnish yksi, but South Estonian ütś.
Modern standard Estonian has evolved on the basis of the dialects of Northern Estonia. However, in the 17th to 19th century in Southern Estonia literature was published in a standardized form of Southern Tartu and Northern Võro. This usage was called Tartu literary language or also South Estonian literary language. The written standard was used in the schools, churches and courts of the Võro and Tartu linguistic area but not in the Seto and Mulgi area.
The first South Estonian grammar was written by Johann Gutslaff in 1648 and a translation of the New Testament (Wastne Testament) was published in 1686. In 1806 the first Estonian newspaper Tarto-ma rahwa Näddali leht was published in South Estonian Tartu literary language.
Comparison of old South Estonian (Tartu) literary language, modern South Estonian (Võro) and modern standard Estonian:
Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
(Meie Esä) in old literary South Estonian (Tartu):
Meie Esä Taiwan: pühendetüs saagu sino nimi. Sino riik tulgu. Sino tahtmine sündigu kui Taiwan, niida ka maa pääl. Meie päiwälikku leibä anna meile täämbä. Nink anna meile andis meie süü, niida kui ka meie andis anname omile süidläisile. Nink ärä saada meid mitte kiusatuse sisse; enge pästä meid ärä kurjast: Sest sino perält om riik, nink wägi, nink awwustus igäwätses ajas. Aamen.
Lord's Prayer (Mi Esä) in modern literary South Estonian (Võro
Võro language
The Võro language is a language belonging to the Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. Traditionally it has been considered a dialect of the South Estonian dialect group of the Estonian language, but nowadays it has its own literary language and is in search of official recognition as an...
):
Mi Esä taivan: pühendedüs saaguq sino nimi. Sino riik tulguq. Sino tahtminõ sündkuq, ku taivan, nii ka maa pääl. Mi päävälikku leibä annaq meile täämbä. Nink annaq meile andis mi süüq, nii ku ka mi andis anna umilõ süüdläisile. Ni saatku-i meid joht kiusatusõ sisse, a pästäq meid ärq kur’ast, selle et sino perält om riik ja vägi ni avvustus igävädses aos.
Aamõn.
Lord's Prayer (Meie isa) in modern standard Estonian
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
:
Meie isa, kes Sa oled taevas: pühitsetud olgu Sinu nimi. Sinu riik tulgu. Sinu tahtmine sündigu, nagu taevas nõnda ka maa peal. Meie igapäevast leiba anna meile tänapäev. Ja anna meile andeks meie võlad nagu meiegi andeks anname oma võlglastele. Ja ära saada meid kiusatusse, vaid päästa meid ära kurjast. Sest Sinu päralt on riik ja vägi ja au igavesti. Aamen.
The status of South Estonian began to diminish after the 1880s. Under the influence of the European liberal oriented nationalist movement it was decided that there must be one Estonian language. The beginning of the 20th century was the period for the rapid development of the Northern-based Estonian literary language.
Present situation
Võro language
The Võro language is a language belonging to the Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. Traditionally it has been considered a dialect of the South Estonian dialect group of the Estonian language, but nowadays it has its own literary language and is in search of official recognition as an...
and a new literary standard based on Võro. Tartu and Mulgi dialects have become nearly extinct.
Language example of the modern literary (Võro
Võro language
The Võro language is a language belonging to the Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. Traditionally it has been considered a dialect of the South Estonian dialect group of the Estonian language, but nowadays it has its own literary language and is in search of official recognition as an...
) South Estonian
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
:
Kõik inemiseq sünnüseq avvo ja õiguisi poolõst ütesugumaidsis. Näile om annõt mudsu ja süämetunnistus ja nä piät ütstõõsõga vele muudu läbi käümä.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
See also
- Võro languageVõro languageThe Võro language is a language belonging to the Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. Traditionally it has been considered a dialect of the South Estonian dialect group of the Estonian language, but nowadays it has its own literary language and is in search of official recognition as an...
- Seto languageSeto languageSeto or Setu language is a dialect of the South Estonian or Võro language , spoken by about 5,000 people...
- Finnic languagesFinnic languagesThe term Finnic languages often means the Baltic-Finnic languages, an undisputed branch of the Uralic languages. However, it is also commonly used to mean the Finno-Permic languages, a hypothetical intermediate branch that includes Baltic Finnic, or the more disputed Finno-Volgaic languages....
- Centre for South Estonian Language and Cultural StudiesCentre for South Estonian Language and Cultural StudiesThe Centre for South Estonian Language and Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary unit at the Faculty of Philosophy of Tartu University. The centre coordinates and organizes linguistic and cultural studies in the historical South Estonian area...