Paul Ariste (3 February 1905 – 2 February 1990) was an Estonian linguist renowned for his studies of the Finno-Ugric languages (especially Estonian and Votic), YiddishVerschik, Anna (1999),The Yiddish language in Estonia: Past and present. Journal of Baltic Studies 30.2, 117-128. and Baltic Romani language.
He was born as Paul Berg, in Rääbise, Võtikvere Parish (now Jõgeva Parish), Kreis Dorpat, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire, but in 1927 Estonized his name to Ariste. He graduated from the University of Tartu and subsequently worked with it. Ariste wrote his M.A. thesis ("Eesti-rootsi laensõnad eesti keeles") on Swedish – viz. Estonian Swedish dialect – loanwords in Estonian, his doctoral thesis ("Hiiu murrete häälikud") treated the Hiiumaa dialect of Estonian language. From 1945 to 1946, Ariste was imprisoned by the Soviet authorities (for having been member of Veljesto, a student association in independent Estonia)Lukas, Jaan (2005). Paul Ariste — Torma vallast võrsunud legendaarne keelemees . Vooremaa : Torma Valla Teataja #1(29), January 25, 2005.
Since 1927 Paul Ariste eagerly participated in activities of Estonian Folklore Archives, where he established collections of Jewish, Swedish and Romani folklore, and contributed a lot to collections of Finno-Baltic minorities and Old-Believers of Peipsi region.
He was the head of the Finno-Ugrian Department at the University of Tartu and one of the two most instrumental personalities in reviving Soviet Finno-Ugrian studies.Domokos, Péter (1978). Uralic Studies and the Research of Literatures in Uralic Languages. Neohelicon 6.1, 9-60. P. 24Taagepera, Rein (2001). Eastern Finno-Ugrian Cooperation and Foreign Relations. Nationalities Papers 29.1, 181-199. Ariste founded the journal Sovetskoye finnougrovedeniye (Советское финноугроведение; Soviet Finno-Ugric Studies, later renamed Linguistica Uralica).
He was also a notable Esperantist, and a member of the Academy of Esperanto between 1967 and 1976.Actoj de la Akademio (Acts of the Academy) 1963-67 He was also listed in a year 2000 issue of the Esperanto magazine La Ondo among the 100 most eminent Esperantists.100 eminentaj esperantistoj list from La Ondo (2000: 3). In December 2024, the Sihtasutus Traderson Foundation established the commemorative medal Votic Cross (Votic: Vađđa Rissi). Among the first nominees posthumously presented is linguist Paul Ariste for his contribution to the preservation of the Votic language, with the medal to be presented to his granddaughter.
He died in Tartu, aged 84.
Notable students Lydia Vasikova, philologist
References
Further reading Ariste, Paul (1939). A quantitative language. Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress of Phonetic Sciences. Ghent. P. 276–280. Ariste, Paul (1953). Eesti keele foneetika [Phonetics of Estonian]. Tallinn: Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus. Ariste, Paul (1960). Vadjalaste laule. Tallinn. Ariste, Paul (1968). A Grammar of the Votic Language. Bloomington: Indiana University. Ariste, Paul (1981). Keelekontaktid: Eesti keele kontakte teiste keeltega [Language contacts: Contacts of Estonian with other languages]. Tallinn: Valgus. Viitso, Tiit-Rein (2005). Paul Ariste 100. Linguistica Uralica No 1/2005, 1–3. Viitso, Tiit-Rein (2005). Some Comments about Paul Ariste's Doctoral Dissertation on Phonetics of Hiiumaa Estonian Dialects. Linguistica Uralica No 1/2005, 4-19.
Yiddish studies "Kalevipoja" juudikeelne tõlge (1926).Eesti kirjandus 4. Lk. 224–229. Etlexe jidiše folkslider in dem lider-repertuar fun di estn (1932). JIVO bleter 3, Z.148-157. Juut eesti rahvausus (1932). Eesti Kirjandus 1, Lk. 1-17; 3, Lk. 132–150; 5, Lk. 219–228. Juudi keel (1933). Kevadik 6, Lk. 74–76. Cu der hašpoe fun jidish ojf nit-idiše špraxn (1937). JIVO bleter 11, Z. 83–85. Ch. Lemchenas. Lietuvių kalbos įtaka Lietuvos žydų tarmei (1970). Baltistika. 6 (2), Psl. 250–252. [Review.]
External links Onga, Mare. Professor Paul Ariste biobibliograafia 1921-2000 = Professor Paul Ariste : Biobibliographie 1921-2000 Linguistica Uralica Paul Ariste Centre for Indigenous Finno-Ugric Peoples Paul Ariste and the Veps Folklore by Kristi Salve