Estonian
Ma ei räägi eesti keelt—“I don’t speak Estonian” (Estonian is eesti keelt in Estonian). We can help! Estonian is the official language of the Baltic country of Estonia. It is closely related to Finnish and belongs to the wider family of Uralic languages. Unlike many of its neighbor languages, Estonian is not part of the Indo-European languages, and its only other (distant) European relative is Hungarian. Estonian is spoken by about 1.1 million people.
Estonian Fun Facts
High tech: The software for Skype was developed by Estonians, and the main offices of Skype are located in Tallinn and Tartu.
Estonian has no gender and no future tense. On the other hand, the language does have 14 different cases.
To make Estonian favorite Kaerakile or Kaerakiisla, an oat-based flummery, take a big saucepan, fill it with oatmeal and warm water, and leave it to ferment in a warm spot for a day or two. Then cook it on the stove, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it turns into a gray, gluey pudding.
-
On Saiakäik, the smallest street in Tallinn, Estonia in the winter. Photo submitted by Estrella
-
The cliffs of Paldiski, a town and port in northwest Estonia. Photo submitted by trencevamarija
-
Outside of the Old Town, Tallinn is sleek and modern. Photo submitted by Ana
