On South Estonian placenames in Ludza (Lutsi) region in Eastern Latvia (Latgalia)

Abstract

The article investigates Estonian toponyms in the Ludza area of Latvia’s Latgale region. Lutsi Estonians were a group of Estonians who moved to this area in the 17^th and 18^th centuries and were ultimately assimilated into the local population in the 20^th century. The sources of the material studied include: toponyms presented in earlier research (5), the Estonian Language Institute (EKI) toponym card index (53), the book Eesti murded IX, which contains samples of Lutsi Estonian language (1), and the database of the Latvian Geospatial Information Agency (LĢIA) (1). The investigated toponyms are compared primarily to those from the South Estonian dialect area and toponyms in other Finnic territories. The Estonian etymology of three toponyms presented in earlier research is rejected. Two toponyms can be considered Estonian because no alternative etymologies were found. The EKI card index contains 98 cards. Some of these are transparent Finnic toponyms that require no further explanation. A total of 53 toponyms were selected, formed from specific Lutsi Estonian appellatives or South Estonian words, while the others are adapted Latvian or Slavic toponyms. Toponyms found in Eesti murded IX and the LĢIA database can be explained as specific South Estonian toponyms. The vast majority of the investigated toponyms no longer exist, as the Lutsi Estonians were multilingual and likely used different versions of these toponyms depending on the language spoken. Following the extinction of the Lutsi Estonian language, the Estonian versions of the toponyms also disappeared.