Editing Estonian language (section)

== Dialects ==
[[File:2.5-North-Estonian.png|thumb|300px|North Estonian dialects at the beginning of the 20th century<ref name=map1>{{Cite journal |last1=Rantanen |first1=Timo |last2=Tolvanen |first2=Harri |last3=Roose |first3=Meeli |last4=Ylikoski |first4=Jussi |last5=Vesakoski |first5=Outi |date=2022-06-08 |title=Best practices for spatial language data harmonization, sharing and map creation—A case study of Uralic |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=17 |issue=6 |pages=e0269648 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0269648|doi-access=free |pmid=35675367 |pmc=9176854 |bibcode=2022PLoSO..1769648R }}</ref><ref name=map2>Rantanen, Timo, Vesakoski, Outi, Ylikoski, Jussi, & Tolvanen, Harri. (2021). ''Geographical database of the Uralic languages'' (v1.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4784188</ref>]]
[[File:2.6-South-Estonian.png|thumb|300px|South Estonian dialects at the beginning of the 20th century<ref name=map1/><ref name=map2/>]]
[[File:Estonian-Voro-bilingual-parish-sign.JPG|thumb|Road sign in Estonian and Võro]]
[[File:Wastne Võro keeli A B D raamat.jpg|thumb|An 1885 ABC-book in [[Võro language|Võro]] written by Johann Hurt: "Wastne Võro keeli ABD raamat"]]
The Estonian dialects<ref>{{cite web |title=[Map of Estonian Dialects] |url=http://www.murre.ut.ee/assets/EESTIkhkingl.jpg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826114123/http://www.murre.ut.ee/assets/EESTIkhkingl.jpg |archive-date=26 August 2014 |access-date=23 August 2014 |via=Tartu University's Estonian Dialect Corpus}}</ref><ref>see [https://web.archive.org/web/20191222043756/http://www.murre.ut.ee/home/ Tartu University's Estonian Dialect Corpus website]</ref> are divided into two groups&nbsp;– the northern and southern dialects, historically associated with the cities of [[Tallinn]] in the north and [[Tartu]] in the south, in addition to a distinct ''kirderanniku'' dialect, [[Northeastern coastal Estonian]].

The northern group consists of the {{lang|et|keskmurre}} or central dialect that is also the basis for the standard language, the {{lang|et|läänemurre}} or western dialect, roughly corresponding to [[Lääne County]] and [[Pärnu County]], the {{lang|et|saarte murre}} (islands' dialect) of [[Saaremaa]], [[Hiiumaa]], [[Muhu]] and [[Kihnu]], and the {{lang|et|idamurre}} or eastern dialect on the northwestern shore of [[Lake Peipus]].

One of the pronunciation features of the Saaremaa dialect is the lack of the 'õ' vowel. A [https://www.visitestonia.com/en/oo-statue-to-mark-dialect-border five-metre monument] erected in 2020, marking the "border" between the vowels 'õ' and 'ö', humorously makes reference to this fact.

[[South Estonian]] consists of the Tartu, Mulgi, [[Võro language|Võro]] and [[Seto dialect|Seto]] varieties. These are sometimes considered either variants of South Estonian or separate languages altogether.<ref>{{cite web |title=Culture Tourism in South Estonia and Võru County: Situation Analysis |url=http://www.siksali.ee/cultour/EE_SituationAnalysisSummary_ENG.pdf |access-date=2 July 2013 |via=Siksali |archive-date=20 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220115230/http://www.siksali.ee/cultour/EE_SituationAnalysisSummary_ENG.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Also, Seto and Võro distinguish themselves from each other less by language and more by their culture and their respective Christian confession.<ref name="Rannut" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Eesti murded / Estonian Dialects |url=http://portaal.eki.ee/component/content/article/34-murded/46-murded.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826113944/http://portaal.eki.ee/component/content/article/34-murded/46-murded.html |archive-date=2014-08-26 |access-date=2014-08-23 |website=Eesti Keele Instituut |language=et}}</ref>