Esthonian

9.1

The official language spoken in Estonia

noun
/ɛsˈtoʊniən/

Archaic

: estonio

My grandfather learned to speak Esthonian when he moved to Tallinn.

Examples

Few people outside of Estonia are fluent in Esthonian.
The Esthonian language has many unique sounds.
He appreciates literature written in Esthonian for its unique linguistic features.
She speaks Esthonian fluently.
Few people outside of Estonia are fluent in Esthonian.
He appreciates literature written in Esthonian for its unique linguistic features.
My grandfather learned to speak Esthonian when he moved to Tallinn.

Synonyms

Estonian

vsEsthonian

1 7.7

The main language spoken in Estonia

is an older alternative spelling form for the same language

Surface Forms

Esthonian singular

Esthonians plural

Morphology

Esthonian = Estonia (transparent) = Estonia + ian

Formed from the country name 'Estonia' plus the standard demonym/adjectival suffix '-ian'; the meaning (the language of Estonia) is directly derived, though 'Esthonian' is an orthographic variant.

Etymology

The word Esthonian comes from the country's name Esthonia, now usually spelled Estonia, so it means 'from Estonia' or the language of that country. It is in the same language family as Finnish, so some words and sounds are similar.