Sources of the Place Names Database (KNAB)

Query source abbreviations from the database

There are two types of name sources in the database: monographs-articles-news (conventional sources) and dates-name decisions.

Conventional sources are abbreviated using two methods:

1. Author's surname or the first word(s) of the title or conventional abbreviation, year of publication (with an additional number if necessary to make a distinction to other works published in the same year) and the page number(s) after a colon, e.g. Tamme1993:12. For frequently cited works the author's name might be abbreviated to two first characters, e.g. Hu1904 (= Hurt1904)
2. Descriptive abbreviations consisting of three parts:
   • the abbreviation of the country, county or parish (see the abbreviations of the administrative units) or a language
   • year of publication
   • abbreviation of the source type (a = atlas, i = instruction, j = (travel) guide, k = map, m = other (article, etc.), n = name listing, o = name decision, s = dictionary, t = reference book.
   • Examples: Tln1921k = map of Tallinn from the year 1921; PÄ1930t = reference book on Pärnumaa in 1930; KZ1998k = map of Kazakhstan 1998; pl1994n = listing of names in Polish 1994.

The abbreviation of dates or name decisions usually consist of two parts:

1. year (or date: dd.mm.yyyy)
2. the abbreviations of the authority approving the name (usually place name abbreviation + the type of the authority) and the code for the name decision (lowercase character), e.g. Tln_LVm (=regulation of the Tallinn City Government), Trt_LVKo (=decision of the Tartu City Council); most frequent types are as follows:
   • LNo = decision of City (Town) Council of People's Deputies (in Soviet times)
   • LVk = order of City (Town) Government
   • LVm = regulation of City (Town) Government
   • LVo = decision of City (Town) Government
   • LVKo = decision of Town (City) Council
   • MNo = decision County Council
   • RKo = decision of the Riigikogu (Parliament)
   • RKs = law approved by the Riigikogu (Parliament)
   • TKo = decision of the Executive Committee of a city or town council
   • VPo = decision of the President of the Republic (promulgating laws)
   • VVKm = regulation of Parisch Council
   • VVm = regulation of the Government of the Republic
   • VVm = regulation of Parich Government (always preceded by the parish abbreviation)
   • ÜNPsd = decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet

Sources that date back to earlier times than the 18th century are usually given as dates, i.e. with the year preceding other abbreviations.

Additional signs after source abbreviations:

• # - the name is given as variant in the source (in brackets, after the principal name, etc., e.g. EE1923n#)
• ~ (tilde) - the name spelling in the database has been modified (usually the difference lies in the use of capital or small initials, spelling the name as one or two words, etc.; if the differences are more significant, two tildes are added)
• : (colon) - reference to the first source is given on the basis of the next source, that may be common in dating names (e.g. 1782:; Pall1967:12 -- the year 1782 is given in the source Pall1967)

In source records square brackets are used to denote periodic publications, libraries, etc. where the source may be found. The most common denotations:

• Ak_rmtk = Estonian Academic Library
• EAA = Estonian Historical Archives
• ENSV_TL = ENSV Teataja Lisa (state gazette of the Soviet times)
• ENSV_ÜVT = Eesti Nõukogude Sotsialistliku Vabariigi Ülemnõukogu ja Valitsuse Teataja (state gazette of the Soviet times)
• ERA = Estonian State Archives
• Rhs-rmtk = Estonian National Library
• RT = Riigi Teataja (state gazette)
• RT_I = Riigi Teataja, I osa (part 1)
• RTL = Riigi Teataja Lisa (supplement)
• TÜ_rmtk - Library of the Tartu University