Estonian

Never before has the contact between Estonia and Sweden been as intense and multifaceted as now when Estonia is again an independent state and, like Sweden, a member of the EU. However, Estonia is so much more than a neighbouring state with present and historical close ties to Sweden. It is easy to be fascinated by the rich folk poetry and by the lively cultural life, shaped by the country's position between East and West.

The best way to really get to know a people, its land, culture and history are to learn its language. Estonian is spoken by over 1.1 million people, of whom nearly one million live in Estonia. Other countries with large Estonian groups are, apart from Sweden, the United States, Canada, Finland, Latvia and Russia.

The language is close to Finnish, although a Finn and an Est cannot speak to each other. The Estonian language is also interesting thanks to the conscious and intensive language construction that characterized it, particularly during the 20th century and continues in our days. This means that Estonian, perhaps to a greater extent than other languages, is considered a well-elaborated language.

Courses in Estonian at Master's level are found under the heading Finno-Ugric Languages.