Tallinn streetsign displaying the name Härjapea. But! Are you Estonian? Are you confused? No course for alarm. This and the next three photographs illustrate some of the peculiarities of Tallinn street-naming conventions. Whereas the present photo indicates Härjapea 1, it is actually the 2nd house in Härjapea. Heina 11, on the other hand, being a house on Heina, thus merits its designation as No.11. It sort of makes sense, but why, then, on the other side of the road, is Härjapea 2 closest to Heina while Heina 13 is ‘downstream’ and the second house in Härjapea?
Streetsign of Härjapea 2, house closest to Heina while Heina 13 is next door and further away from Heina?
Streetsign of Heina 13, house further from Heina than Härjapea 2...
Streetsign of Heina 11, house on Heina numbered also as Härjapea I. God save you all!
however, while the Lithuanian and Latvian meant horse, and the Prussian gelding, other neighboring Finnic languages (#Finnish, #Livonian, #Veps, #Votic, etc.) amble around ox, steer, bull, etc., which EES convincingly suggests is due to a perception of function (draft) rather than form (animal).
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