Usually people say that it is a bit strange that we have no future and no gender in Estonian language. That is true, we use present tense for future and when it comes to the gender, well we just hope we get it right. We have no HE or SHE, the word we use for it is gender neutral. Most of the names we have give a good hint on the gender of the person, but trust me, there is still confusion time to time. For example, there are 157 women named Rahel in Estonia, but also five men. Your assumpion of the gender might sometimes be wrong.
What I find really facinating however is the combination of dark and light we have in our language. We often combine positive and negative words together.
What I find really facinating however is the combination of dark and light we have in our language. We often combine positive and negative words together.
Hirmus Ilus - very beautyful (direct translation: scary beautyful)
Sometimes we also combine negative words to positive activity.
Nad Muretsevad lapsi- they are trying to get children (direct translation: They are worrying children)
As I have been told, this strange combination is not unique to our language. Therefore I will not stay too long on it. What is stranger than these word combinations, are the words that can themselves be both positive and negative.
Arm - gentelness and care, love. scar
Mu Arm - my love, my darling, my scar
Can be quite confusing when you are learning the language, right? A know Estonian song goes like this: "Head lapsed need kasvavad vitsata, arm aitab enam kui hirm" meaning something like "Good children grow without beating, scar/love helps better than fear." True, we all know that they mean love in the song, but just think about it - the whole story of the song changes when you just take the other meaning of the same word.
There is another word that shows tenderness, but can (with a small change) turn into total opposite.
Can be quite confusing when you are learning the language, right? A know Estonian song goes like this: "Head lapsed need kasvavad vitsata, arm aitab enam kui hirm" meaning something like "Good children grow without beating, scar/love helps better than fear." True, we all know that they mean love in the song, but just think about it - the whole story of the song changes when you just take the other meaning of the same word.
There is another word that shows tenderness, but can (with a small change) turn into total opposite.
Pai - gentle stroke of hair. It is something we do, to show our affection and love.
Paine - by the language rules (pai+'ne) it should mean something like "covered with the gentle strokes of hair", but don't be fooled. This word means nightmare, pressure or deep long frustration. That escalated fast?!
A strange language we have indeed.
This is end of the lesson for today.
Aitäh, mu kallis lugeja! - Thank you my dear/expensive reader!
Cheers!
I hate (actually love!) to be a party booper here, but you need to try harder if you want to be really Estonian-specific.
ReplyDeleteHirmus Ilus - very beautyful (direct translation: scary beautyful)
>> This is not Estonian-specific but a legitimate trophe called oxymoron. You can google it :)
Nad Muretsevad lapsi- they are trying to get children (direct translation: They are worrying children)
Yep, words get different meanings in the course of time. The English are working as BOARD leaders – laualiidrid. It happens. All the time.
Arm - gentelness and care, love. scar
Mu Arm - my love, my darling, my scar
Those homonyms are actually already there in Old Germanic, see Etymological dictionary.
Pai - gentle stroke of hair. It is something we do, to show our affection and love.
Paine - by the language rules (pai+'ne) it should mean something like "covered with the gentle strokes of hair", but don't be fooled. This word means nightmare, pressure or deep long frustration. That escalated fast?!
Again, the homonymy originates not from Estonian, but from somewhere in Fenno-Ugric/Balto-Fennic roots. Again, Eesti etümoloogiasõnaraamat is a good source.