Broadly speaking, the dispute centers around a fundamental difference in perspective. Language editors believe the ÕS should follow a prescriptivist approach, with strictly defined words and usage recommendations – while EKI wants to forego this stance in favor of a descriptive one, acknowledging that living languages, and definitions within them, are constantly changing and growing.

The point of contention in the current rift specifically is EKI's planned dictionary reform, with which it intends to replace the currently distinct ÕS and Dictionary of Foreign Words with a single, unified dictionary.

This debate has recently caught the attention of Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise, who maintains that the planned reform is in conflict with the law.

Namely, according to Estonia's Language Act, official language usage must adhere to the norms of standard literary Estonian – and the latest edition of the ÕS serves as one source for this written standard.

"However, the law does not allow for a situation in which a literary standard as a standard that shapes good language and prevents the bad use of language doesn't exist anymore," Madise said.

According to the justice chancellor, both a descriptive approach to language and a unified dictionary compiled on the basis thereof have their place, however they cannot replace the Dictionary of Standard Estonian – barring a legal amendment of the Language Act, which she is prepared to challenge in court.

"I'm sure this dispute will reach the Supreme Court of Estonia if necessary, however Supreme Court rulings have surprised us in the past," Madise recalled. "Yes, we have thoroughly reviewed the particulars, and in our opinion, a dictionary standardizing the literary language must be preserved."

Definitions, spelling, inflection

EKI declined to comment on the justice chancellor's memo prior to their upcoming scheduled meeting. They did, however, agree to explain the principles behind the development of the newest edition of the ÕS.

"We are compiling the new Dictionary of Standard Estonian precisely the same way it has been done before, with one big difference – we are doing so publicly," said Sirli Zupping, director of the Modern Estonian Department at EKI.

"We have a vested interest in all definitions of words being described in the new dictionary, but the ÕS doesn't say that certain meanings alone are right and certain alone are wrong," she added.

Zupping noted that previous editions of the ÕS have likewise only standardized the spellings and inflection – i.e. conjugation and declension – of words.

"Talking about the standardization of meanings or this matter of contention, we should consider the fact that meanings change in usage all the time, and that there are many factors that influence these changes in meaning," the department director said. "We should be talking about the standardization of meanings within the context of a specific field."

According to Andero Adamson, director of the Language Policy Department at the Ministry of Education and Research, EKI must make clear compromises.

"We have the Language Act, suggesting that we have a literary language standard; we have a regulation of the Government of the Republic which pretty explicitly states what the literary language standard consists of," Adamson highlighted. "And in this regard, the Dictionary of Standard Estonian serves as one of the foundations of the literary language standard. Then it is also clear that the new ÕS must comprise these components of providing definitions and orthographic matters."

Fiction's share of reference corpus now 4 percent

While this may seem to the average person like a dispute exclusively between language experts, it's actually of vital importance whether, for example, the word ekspertiis as used in legal texts refers to an investigative measure – as in an expert examination or report – or merely expertise in the English-language sense of the word, as currently suggested by EKI's Sõnaveeb.

According to Ministry of Justice language editor Mari Koik, word choice may not very important to the average person, but precise definitions are absolutely vital in legislation to avoiding litigation.

"In legal language, you can't have a word meaning one thing one day and another thing the next," Koik explained. "Estonian is also the official [national] language, and so the standardization of the spelling of the official language cannot be based on how a word is used, for example, in blogs or in unedited online news."

A corpus consisting of such online texts, however, is precisely on which the new unified dictionary is in large part being developed. While previous editions of the ÕS were compiled based on a text corpus that was one-third fiction, this time around, fiction accounts for just 4 percent of the reference corpus.

"The type of methodology currently in use would be feasible of the corpus used as the basis for compiling this dictionary were different, meaning balanced," the ministry language editor noted. "And in a balanced corpus, there should be significantly more scientific texts, fiction texts."

According to language editor Egle Heinsar, for more than 50 years, language planning in Estonia has taken the guiding and recommending approach, with the ÕS providing guidelines for improved language use rather than forcing it.

"All public use of language is based on the ÕS' system of recommendations and instructions," Heinsar emphasized. "Educational language – that in which instruction takes place in Estonian-language schools. We learn to speak, write, understand each other according to a common language, common rules. If we lose that, it won't be possible to run a country."

Madise: Direct translations, jargon at risk of snowballing

But what, then, would really happen if the Dictionary of Standard Estonian in its current form were to be done away with?

"It would likely lead to considerable confusion," said Madise. "However, what would be most unfortunate is the likely proliferation of sloppy direct translations and arrogant, bureaucratic jargon."

"It's very likely that resolving disputes regarding what a law intended to say or mean would become difficult if it were no longer possible to look up the meanings of words in a dictionary," Koik added. "Or, say, if the definition reflects all sorts of usage found online."

Both the chancellor of justice and language editors emphasized, however, that the literary standard is mandatory only in official communication, and that no one has been or will start being punished for speaking Estonian incorrectly.

The new dictionary is slated to be published next year, as current tradition holds that a new edition of the ÕS is released every seven years.

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