
The following text by Douglas Wells (And who, you may ask, is Douglas Wells?) has been circulating on the Internet and has a definite gnosiological value for learners of Estonian.
The Origins of the Estonian Language
I just celebrated my fifth year in Estonia and my fifth fruitless year trying to figure out how to correctly speak Estonian. I mean really, it wouldn't be so bad if Estonians weren't so smug about it. Oh, they will congratulate you on your good Estonian even if you can speak a few words, but deep inside they really don't want you to learn it!
They are so happy with their secret code and you can see it every time someone asks you "Oh, are you learning to speak Estonian?". Then comes the sly grin, the "You've got a snowball's chance in hell of learning OUR language" grin. This is quickly replaced by a faked look of concern as they say "Oh, its a very difficult language isn't it?". I think after this, they go off and laugh uncontrollably and give high-fives to other Estonians, but I haven't actually seen it happen.
I have decided to write an expose on the Estonian language. One time I sent my brother a tape of Estonian language and he asked me if Estonians have an obsession with sex. There is terviseks and ostmiseks and kasutamiseks, teadmiseks, parandamiseks and armastamiseks. All kinds of "seks". That, plus the fact that after five years, little kids still laugh when I speak Estonian has made me decide to tell all. The real story behind why Estonian is the way it is.
A long time ago, about 1000 or 1100 A.D. there three Estonian guys sitting around the campfire. Their names were Billy, Ray and Duke (bet you didn't know that these are real ancient Estonian names). It was winter time and they were bored. Billy spoke first. "Ya know Ray, what we need is a new language". "dang stright!" said Ray, "Talkin' this way is gettin' boring and besides everybody almost understands us. We need a language that's sooo crazy, soooooo complicated that nobody will ever understands what's going on!".
As the idea picked up steam, Duke piped up. "Lets do it this way, that you can't say he or she. That way you won't know if your talkin' about a man or woman. Also, we gotta think up names for people that give no clue to foreigners about their gender, names that change with the grammar so you never know what to call somebody". Ray nodded in approval "Yeah," he said thoughtfully "that's it. Then we can eliminate the future tense. Think of trying to ask someone out on date when you can't say the right name, whether it's a boy or girl or when it is going to happen!"
Billy, the smart one, was thinking in more technical terms already. "OK, let's make it this way, that when you learn a noun, you don't have to learn just one word but FOURTEEN. Yeah and instead of just saying that you are going to or from something, you have to change the noun in some weird way". Now Ray was excited and spilled his beer. "Yeah Yeah! And ... and ... the nouns can't change the same way, let's make like, a hundred different spelling groups that all change in different ways!". This appealed to Duke who added slyly, "Ya wanna make it real hard, a real nut-buster? Let's make it so all adjectives change, too. In boring old English, you say 'five small, red houses', 'small, red houses' and 'many small, red houses'. Small and red always stay the same but in our new language? Whoaaaa Nellie!". They exchange high fives all around and cracked a few beers. After that they started practicing how to say 'Oh, you're learning Estonian' without busting up laughing.
That's how Estonian came to be, hones!
Kalevi kommivabrik kavatseb materjali muutmise abil lahendada nii elevust kui ka pahameelt tekitanud probleemi, et inimesed ei saa kompvekke uudsest pakendist kätte.





| You Are Pretty Logical |
![]() You're a bit of a wizard when it comes to logic While you don't have perfect logic, you logic is pretty darn good Keep at it - you've got a lot of natural talent in this area! |
| You Should Be An Aries |
![]() What's good about you: you're fearless about taking charge and grabbing the spotlight What's bad about you: if you're annoyed, you're not going to hide it! In love: you jump in quickly and don't mind risking your heart In friendship, you're: likely to have a new best friend each month Your ideal job: detective, butcher, or surgeon Your sense of fashion: ultra trendy and sexy You like to pig out on: appetizers, especially buffalo wings |
| Your Dominant Thinking Style: Exploring |
![]() You thrive on the unknown and unpredictable. Novelty is your middle name. You are a challenger. You tend to challenge common assumptions and beliefs. An expert inventor and problem solver, you approach everything from new angles. You show people how to question their models of the world. |
Jää kestma, Kalevite kange rahvas,
ja seisa kaljuna, me kodumaa!
Ei vaibund kannatustes sinu vahvus,
end läbi sajanditest murdsid sa
ja tõusid õitsvaks sotsialismimaaks,
et päikene su päevadesse paista saaks.
Nüüd huuga, tehas, vili, nurmel vooga,
sirp, lõika, alasile, haamer, löö!
Nõukogu elu, tuksu võimsa hooga,
too õnne rahvale, me tubli töö!
Me Liidu rahvaste ja riike seas
sa, Eesti, sammu esimeste kindlas reas!
Sa kõrgel leninlikku lippu kannad
ja julgelt kommunismi rada käid.
Partei me sammudele suuna annab
ja võidult võitudele viib ta meid.
Ta kindlal juhtimisel kasva sa
ja tugevaks ning kauniks saa, me kodumaa!
Durante los próximos días 23 estudiantes europeos visitarán un monton de saunas diferentes. Cada día por lo menos una. Los días 16 y 17 ellos mismos van a construir su propia sauna. Ya están aquí. Bebiendo con los estudiantes estonios culpables por el curso. Es uno de los cursos de verano.
Pero bueno, mañana iré a la casa de campo de una amiga. A la sauna. Con mi cervecita. Cinco horas en tren más siete kilómetros en bici. Tengo que levantarme a las 6 o antes. Probablemente uno de los viajes más largos que se puede hacer en Estonia. Pero sí, vale la pena.

for years now I've been expecting the Russian-speaking minorities in Latvia and Estonia to burn shit down.
ehk kuidas mulle meeldib Jaéni ylikoolis. Eriti kolmap2eviti. Ega ma muidu 8:30-19:00 seal veedaks. Sel korral 6nnestus mul lausa kolmes loengus k2ia ja tunnikese raamatukogus 6ppida. Siis j6udis kohale unine Andrea. Nende itaalia poiste tavaline seisund, kes neli 66d j2rjest magamisele arvutim2ngu eelistavad. Meie kui tublid yli6pilased asusimegi kohe unematiga v6itlusesse. Kohvikus. Kohe yhines meiega ka Eliis.
