The Language Detective: The Mystery of the “Lehma lellepoeg”

But why “lehma lellepoeg”? Let’s unravel it. Words of kinship in Estonian are a treat to deal with. They are much more diverse and precise than in English. Think of “cousin”, or even “second cousin.” Yes, there is the respective word “nõbu” in Estonian, a loan from Lithuanian, but I personally have not heard it being used in natural, native spoken communication. In real life, one must be much more precise: whether the cousin is female or a male, whether you are related to their mother or father, and even whether they are your relatives from your mother’s side or your father’s side. And the same load of information must be processed and explicated in the cases of second cousins or cousins twice-removed, too.

So, who would be a “lellepoeg?” “Poeg” indicates that it’s a son, a male family member (think of the story of Kalevipoeg!). “Lell”, in turn, is a paternal uncle. This word is used more widely in southern Estonia, but it would still be a sin to call your maternal uncle “lell” regardless of where you happen to speak of your relatives. Thus, a “lellepoeg” is a son of your paternal uncle.