Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person from Estonia; an Estonian: "Esthonian" is an older, less common spelling for a native or inhabitant of the country of Estonia.
   • The official language of Estonia; belongs to the Baltic-Finnic family of languages: "Esthonian" is an older, less common spelling for the Uralic language spoken primarily in Estonia.

Usage Notes

• The word "Esthonian" is an archaic or historical spelling variant. In modern English, the standard and preferred spelling is Estonian for both the people and the language. You will almost always encounter "Estonian" in contemporary texts, official documents, and academic writing.

Examples

• Noun (Person):

  • The traveler was an Esthonian from Tallinn. (This sentence uses the older spelling.)
  • Modern usage: The traveler was an Estonian from Tallinn.

• Noun (Language):

  • He studied the Esthonian language and its folklore. (This sentence uses the older spelling.)
  • Modern usage: He studied the Estonian language and its folklore.

Advanced Usage

• The term may appear in historical texts, older maps, or documents from the early 20th century or before. Recognizing it as a variant of "Estonian" is key to understanding such materials.

Variants and Related Words

• Estonian (adj. & n.): The modern, standard English term for anything relating to Estonia, its people, or its language.
  • Estonian culture, an Estonian citizen, the Estonian language.
• Eesti: The native Estonian name for Estonia and the language.
• Baltic-Finnic (adj.): Referring to the language group which includes Estonian, Finnish, and Livonian.

Synonyms

• For a person: Estonian.
• For the language: Estonian, Eesti.

Important Note

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs associated with the archaic spelling "Esthonian." Any idioms would use the modern standard term Estonian (e.g., "as resilient as an Estonian winter").

Noun

1. the official language of Estonia; belongs to the Baltic-Finnic family of languages