Kihnu dictionary to be presented at book release in Pärnu
A new dictionary of the Kihnu dialect of Estonian, compiled by island natives Reene Leas, Silvi Murulauk and Reti Könninge as well as the late Saaremaa native linguist Ellen Niit, will be presented at a book release at the Museum of New Art in Pärnu on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 12 p.m.
This dictionary will be the largest volume yet on the Kihnu dialect of Estonian, considered by some to be its own separate language, which focuses on Kihnu natives' distinct vocabulary and conveys the islanders' characteristic work and cultural lives.
The dictionary does not simply provide Estonian-language definitions of each word; rather, it also provides example sentences following each word illustrating actual usage thereof in the Kihnu dialect. The work also includes a selection of personal and place names as well as a handful of color photographs of distinctive Kihnu patterns.
A major contributor to the project has been the Kihnu Chamber of Language (Kihnu Kielekoda), which discussed most definitions and example sentences included in the dictionary prior to publishing. The work, edited by academic Karl Pajusalu and senior researcher Jüri Viikberg, was published by the Institute of the Estonian Language, the Institute of Kihnu Culture and the University of Tartu's Institute of the Estonian Language.
The dictionary was developed primarily for natives of the remote Western Estonian island, but also for anyone else interested in it as well, including other learners and speakers of the Kihnu dialect.
The project's contributors and editors will speak at Saturday's presentation about how the dictionary came to be, with a discussion to follow on how to revitalize the use of Kihnu and other traditional Estonian dialects.
Editor: Editor: Aili Vahtla