Estonian Language Institute

Institute logo

The Estonian Language Institute ( Estonian Eesti Keele Instituut , abbreviation EKI) is a research institute subordinate to the Estonian Ministry of Education and Science, based in Tallinn .

Foundation and history

The forerunner of the institute was the Institute for Language and Literature (Estonian Keele ja Kirjanduse Instituut , abbr. KKI) founded in 1947 by the Academy of Sciences of the ESSR in Tartu , which moved to Tallinn in 1952. This pure research institute comprised three scientific areas: In the linguistic sector, one dealt with the creation of dictionaries and research into Estonian and the Finno-Ugric languages. In the literary sector, research was carried out on Estonian literature and the third area was devoted to folklore.

After Estonia's independence was restored in 1991, two successor institutes were founded in 1993. From then on, the Under and Tuglas Literature Center was responsible for researching Estonian literature and cultural history, while the linguistic area was housed in the Institute for Estonian Language .

Goals and areas of responsibility

The creation of dictionaries and aids for learning Estonian is still one of the main focuses of the research institute. In addition, the dialects of Estonian and other Finno-Ugric languages, mainly the Baltic Finnish languages , are researched. The institute has the following six research departments:

1. Estonian language history, dialects and Finno-Ugric languages

2. Language standardization

3. Language resources and language technology

4. Spoken language and speech technology

5. Dictionaries

6. Terminology

service

In 2016 the EKI received the award for the popularization of science, second from right the then director, Tõnu Tender

The institute maintains a telephone hotline that can be contacted with language questions. Numerous dictionaries are also available free of charge on the institute's website.

Directors

1993-2000 Asta Õim

2000-2015 Urmas Sutrop

2015–2020 Tõnu Tender

2020– Arvi Tavast

Secondary literature

• Eeva Ahven: Pilk paberpeeglisse. Keele ja Kirjanduse Instituudi kroonika 1947–1993. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus 2007.
• Tõnu Tender, Jüri Viikberg: Eesti keele institut, in: Oma Keel 2/2016, pp. 112–119.

Web links

(Estonian) Homepage of the institute.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ s. Eeva Ahven: Pilk paberpeeglisse. Keele ja Kirjanduse Instituudi kroonika 1947–1993. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus 2007.
2. ↑ Tõnu Tender, Jüri Viikberg: Eesti keele institut, in: Oma Keel 2/2016, pp. 113–114.