Two Old Written Standards

Level 6

The southern New Testament of 1686 is called Wastne Testament. In the northern standard, and today, it is Uus Testament.

How It Works

Two standards. In the 17th century two written languages formed on the two main dialect groups:

  • põhjaeesti keel or Tallinna keel, the northern standard;
  • lõunaeesti keel or Tartu keel, the southern standard, used for church, school and courts in the Tartu and Võru areas.

Neither was fully standardised, so texts in both vary a lot.

Key books. The southern New Testament, Wastne Testament, appeared in 1686. The first complete Bible, in 1739, was in the northern language. Its spread across the whole country made the northern standard the written language for everyone, and the southern standard faded. Schooling in the Tartu language ended in the 1890s.

What southern texts look like. They show South Estonian features, for example:

  • wastne for uus (new)
  • üts for üks (one)
  • ai where the standard has ei: hain for hein (hay)

Today. Modern standard Estonian has most in common with the northern central dialect. South Estonian lives on in Võro and Seto, which have their own written forms again.

Examples (6)

  1. Wastne Testament

    The New Testament (southern standard, 1686)

    In the northern standard and today: Uus Testament.

  2. 1739. aastal ilmus esimene eestikeelne piibel põhjaeesti keeles.

    In 1739 the first Estonian Bible was published in northern Estonian.

  3. Lõunaeesti kirjakeelt nimetati ka Tartu keeleks.

    The southern written standard was also called the Tartu language.

  4. üts – üks

    one: southern üts, standard üks

  5. hain – hein

    hay: southern hain, standard hein

  6. Tänapäeva kirjakeelel on kõige rohkem ühist põhjaeesti keskmurdega.

    Today's standard language has the most in common with the northern central dialect.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Two Old Written StandardsLevel 6

Learn This First

The old standards relate to regional speech and old spelling.

Words in This Pattern

põhjaeesti