Paul Ariste facts for kids

Paul Ariste (born February 3, 1905 – died February 2, 1990) was an important Estonian linguist. A linguist is a scientist who studies human language. Paul Ariste was famous for his work on Finno-Ugric languages, especially Estonian and Votic. He also studied Yiddish and Baltic Romani language.

Paul Ariste: A Language Explorer

Paul Ariste was born Paul Berg in a place called Rääbise, which is now in Jõgeva Parish, Estonia. In 1927, he changed his name to Ariste. This was part of a trend in Estonia to use Estonian names.

Early Life and Education

Paul Ariste went to the University of Tartu in Estonia. He later worked there as a professor. For his master's degree, he studied how Swedish words came into the Estonian language. For his doctorate, he focused on the special way people spoke in the Hiiumaa area of Estonia.

From 1945 to 1946, Paul Ariste was held by the Soviet authorities. This happened because he had been part of a student group called Veljesto when Estonia was independent.

Studying Languages and Folklore

Starting in 1927, Paul Ariste was very active in the Estonian Folklore Archives. This is a place where old stories, songs, and traditions are kept. He helped create collections of folklore from different groups. These included Jewish, Swedish, and Romani people. He also added a lot to collections from other groups living near the Finno-Baltic region and Old-Believers near Lake Peipsi.

Helping Language Studies Grow

Paul Ariste became the head of the Finno-Ugrian Department at the University of Tartu. He was one of the two most important people who helped restart Finno-Ugrian language studies in the Soviet Union. He also started a journal called Sovetskoye finnougrovedeniye. This journal was later renamed Linguistica Uralica. It is still an important publication for language studies today.

A Friend of Esperanto

Paul Ariste was also a notable Esperantist. An Esperantist is someone who speaks or supports Esperanto. Esperanto is a language created to be easy to learn and used by people from different countries. He was a member of the Academy of Esperanto from 1967 to 1976. In 2000, an Esperanto magazine called La Ondo listed him among the 100 most famous Esperantists.

Paul Ariste passed away in Tartu, Estonia, in 1990. He was 84 years old.

Notable Students

• Lydia Vasikova, a philologist (someone who studies language in written historical sources)