
The Estonian language is the official language of Estonia as well as one of the four non-Indo-European European Union official languages (the other 3 being Finnish, Hungarian, and Maltese). Rather, Estonian is in the Finnic branch of the Uralic language family. Another member of this branch is Finnish; neither of the two languages are linguistically related to their nearest geographical neighbors.
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The Estonian language, belonging to the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic language family, has a long history shaped by its geographic location and cultural influences. The earliest traces of Estonian date back to the 13th century (in fact the oldest known written records of Finnic languages from Estonia date to this century), when written records first appeared. In 1525, the first book in the Estonian language was published; interestingly, this book, a Lutheran manuscript, was destroyed immediately after publication - never reaching its reader. Not surprisingly, the spoken language had been evolving for centuries before that. Throughout the Middle Ages, Estonia was under foreign rule, particularly by German, Danish, and Swedish powers, which introduced elements of these languages into Estonian. Despite these influences, Estonian remained distinct, with its unique phonetic structure and grammar, which includes a notable distinction in vowel harmony and the use of a 14-case system.
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The 19th century marked a period of national awakening, and the Estonian language underwent significant development, especially in literature and education, during the era of the Estonian national movement. In 1869, the first Estonian-language song festival was held, solidifying the language as a symbol of cultural identity. Following Estonia’s independence in 1918, Estonian was declared the official language of the state, further establishing its role in public life. The Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1991 brought challenges, as Russian was promoted as the dominant language, but after regaining independence, Estonia made strong efforts to preserve and revitalize the language. Today, Estonian remains a key part of the country’s identity, spoken by approximately 1.1 million people, with ongoing initiatives to maintain and strengthen its use in all aspects of life.​​
To learn more about this language, Click Here and Here.
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To hear the 1st paragraph of the 1st book, Click Here.
There are at least 4 editions of the Estonian books, with the first being the hardcover, followed by a softcover - both of these feature the Mary GrandPre art from the US first editions; you can also buy the Estonian translations in Jim Kay's beautiful illustrated cover art. However, in 2021 Varrak republished the Estonian books in unique cover art by Hanna Sarekanno, who won a contest put on by the publisher - to read more about this fine artist, Click Here. Books 1 - 7 were translated by Krista Kaer; books 3 - 7 were published by Kaisa Kaer. Alongside the main 7 books, you can also find the Tales of Beedle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Quidditch Through the Ages in Estonian as well; there are also other J.K. Rowling books available in this neat language as well.
The hardcover 1st Edition Estonian books (especially the 1st book) are becoming quite hard - in and outside of Estonia, especially in hardcover. Additionally, the hardcover jackets are quite poorly made, and as such, they rub and tear quite easily. Conversely, the softcover books as well as those illustrated by Sarekanno are quite well made.
Harry Potter ja tarkade kivi

ISBN: 9789985311646
...ja saladuste kamber

ISBN: 9789985303610
...ja Azkabani vang
ISBN: 9789985303627

...ja Fööniksi Ordu
ISBN: 9789985307762

...ja segavereline prints
ISBN: 9789985310731

...ja tulepeeker

ISBN: 9789985304259
...a surma vägised
ISBN: 9789985315224

ISBN: 9789985311646

ISBN: 9789985311820

Published by Varrak publishers as well, these softcover editions of the Estonian Harry Potter books are quickly being tucked away into collections, making them increasingly hard to find. All 7 books were published, but I don't plan on adding any more to these particular editions.
ISBN: 9789985351710

ISBN: 9789985352540
ISBN: 9789985352915
ISBN:9789985354377
ISBN:9789985355626




I really enjoy how unique these covers, illustrated by Hanna Sarekanno. I look forward to adding the rest of the books to my shelves over time.
Im still waiting on my 2 - 7 books to arrive - so many thanks again to Terrell for photos!
ISBN:9789985356319

ISBN:9789985356326

ISBN: 9789985346525

ISBN: 9789985348550
ISBN: 9789985351666
ISBN: 9789985357392
ISBN: 9789985354230




The Jim Kay illustrated editions are still available at the publisher, Varrak, as of March 2025 (w/ exception of book 4, which is out of stock).