Comments on Positively Transforming: Estonia: Estonian at its most aesthetic

#4 is... when you have guests coming over and you'...

2008-06-12T10:39:00.000+03:00

#4 is... when you have guests coming over and you've bought too much food and drink. Or when there's a gathering of abou 200 people (in Estonian sense - huge) and then all of a sudden 50 more arrive. There's so much that then again as much won't really matter.

I like the topsided bucket

The one you liked won, didn't it? I have to side w...

2008-06-07T17:26:00.000+03:00

The one you liked won, didn't it?

I have to side with Flasher on #3 -- the verb "tulnud" makes it harder to see the "village" meaning as külla and tulema are so inextricably linked.

But it isn't quite as clearcut as in the case of "koju" and "kodusse" where if you use one form of the illative instead of the other it would imply that in effect the spirits have a claim of ownership (!) on the woman's home.

Otherwise yes, usually the rule is to double the consonant if possible instead of using the -sse ending.

I can only think of the flip side of #4 -- "two times nothing is still nothing" -- but can't come up with anything better for the actual saying.

Good post.

I wondered that about #3 but thought there was a c...

2008-06-05T13:21:00.000+03:00

I wondered that about #3 but thought there was a connection between 'külanaine' and 'külla tulnud'. It's a play on words anyway I suppose and could mean either.

There's the ever-entertaining Jüriöö Ülestõus, pro...

2008-06-05T13:01:00.000+03:00

There's the ever-entertaining Jüriöö Ülestõus, pronounced with almost no audible consonants, and used to establish a learner's true proficiency in Estonian...

I think #3 is more "visiting spirits" - külla does translate literally as 'to the village', but in effect 'külla tulema' means to visit someone.

I won't challenge #4's usage, though literally it's more like 'one will not harm a similar one'.

Memme is more grandma than mum, I think...

And yes, cranberries are awesome.