The Õigekeelsussõnaraamat (or ÕS) is the standard dictionary of the written Estonian language, compiled and published by the Estonian Language Institute (EKI).

"The new ÕS dictionary is one and a half years away, and the Estonian Language Institute intends to compile it on the basis of the composite dictionary. I would like to point out that, according to the fourth paragraph of the Language Act, the use of the official language must correspond to the standard of the Estonian written language. The ÕS dictionary is a source of norms of the written language," Madise said.

She points out in the letter that the language law clearly defines the norm of written language. "The written language standard in the Language Act refers to a restrictive and guiding norm, the observance of which is mandatory in official communication," she said.

"The law stipulates that the standard of the written language is determined by the latest edition of the ÕS, the decisions of the language committee of the Mother Tongue Society (Emakeele Selts) and the orthography and grammar approved by that organization," Madise said.

The Mother Tongue Society brings together people working in or interested in the field of Estonian and related languages and is affiliated with the Estonian Academy of Sciences. The society's language committee is a central language planning committee in Estonia that makes decisions and recommendations on important standard language issues.

The Chancellor of Justice pointed out that the EKI's specialists have stated that the ÕS norms apply to spelling and modification of words, but the meanings and word choice would no longer be standardized, including the recommendation to prefer the local word over its foreign equivalent.

"The spelling dictionary must be preserved in such a way that it can be used as an aid in judging the observance or violation of the written language. This means that according to the Language Act, the standard of written language must be maintained so that words have agreed meanings, there are rules of spelling and grammar, and there is a requirement for good and clear style. The law provides that the norms and recommendations also apply to the meaning and use of words," Madise explained.

If the norm of the Estonian written language essentially disappears, the Estonian language can no longer be considered the language of education, science and culture and the link between past, present and future generations, she said. "The learning and teaching of Estonian and the assessment of proficiency in Estonian, as well as the work of a language editor, will become more difficult."

Madise said that the EKI composite dictionary has a large number of examples of real-world language use, and that it is beneficial, interesting, and necessary to research and record all of the applications, but it is evident that the EKI composite dictionary and the ÕS dictionary serve distinct purposes.

"The first describes the actual usage of the language, whereas the second is part of the written language standard that serves as the foundation for official language use. The law and regulations prohibit combining written language rules with surveys of real language use. This also applies to vocabulary norms and suggestions," she said.

I would like to request that the Estonian Language Institute base the compilation of the new spelling dictionary on the requirements of the Language Act, which specify the substance of the Estonian written language standard. The necessity for a written language standard should not be understood as an empty norm, implying the absence of a standard.

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