ERR's quest to determine the "most Estonian word" concluded on Sunday, when
sõnajalaõis, or "fern blossom," was announced the winner of the final vote.
Öö, or "night," and
kullakallis, or "precious," came in second and third place, respectively.
"
Sõnajalaõis is a fantastic choice," said ERR's Rain Kooli, who came up with the idea for the vote. "It is profoundly Estonian in several respects — as an ethno-mythical concept it involves mystery, a yearning for happiness and general quest through hardship to the stars. With its short, quick syllables and two letter Õs, it is also a very Estonian word in its pronunciation as well."
A total of 7,000 votes were cast in the contest, in which the top five consisted of the words
sõnajalaõis ("fern blossom"),
öö ("night"),
kullakallis ("precious"),
pööriöö ("solstice"), and
kurat ("devil").
https://news.err.ee/930307/son...
