Mida teha vere-nimedega?
What to Do with vere-Final Names?

Summary/Abstract: The article summarizes the available research experience on the Estonian vere-final place names and represents the material on vere-final settlement names found in the place name files of the Institute of the Estonian Language as supplemented by the KNAB database. A short reference is made to the available theories, concentrating on the issue of -vere < pere and -vere < veere and basing on the model structure K1Nom/Gen + K2Nom/Gen of Estonian toponyms. The possibility is considered that the alleged assart term – ve(e)r(e) – if the assumptions of V. Pall and P. Ariste are true, of course – could once have also occurred in place names as the initial component, having by now become indistinguishable from the genitive form of veri 'blood', e.g. in Verevainu, Veresell villa (from the historical Land Registry of Läänemaa), the supposed term name *Veer from South-Estonia, and the former *Veerküla. Although nowadays homonymy makes it hard to distinguish among the possible different origins of the -vere component in Estonian place names (veri, veer, -u 'slope', veer, -e 'bank, brink' and the supposed veer 'deciduous forest, forested hill') the latter could still be considered for older Vere-initial names. The differences can hardly be ascertained without using indirect methods such as studying the dialectal distribution of the relevant common names, areal distribution of the toponyms in question, models of place name structure, and internal system pressure. In addition, the possible influence of Latvian and Russian dialects should not be overlooked.

• Details
• Contents