Kõrvale

Kõrvale is a toponym found in Estonia as well as a word in the Estonian language. In linguistic use, kõrvale means to the side or aside, reflecting a directional or positional sense that is common in Estonian descriptive terms. As a place name, Kõrvale does not designate a single, widely recognized town or village; instead it appears as the name of several small localities or farmsteads in different parts of the country. The form and usage are typical of Estonian toponymy, where geographic descriptors are incorporated into locality names.

In practice, places named Kõrvale are usually rural and administratively part of a larger municipality or parish rather than independent urban settlements. The exact county and administrative affiliation of each Kõrvale can vary, and disambiguation is often required when consulting maps or gazetteers. The name likely originated from historical land-division practices, where a settlement or land plot was described relative to a notable feature such as a road, river, or another landmark.

Because toponyms in Estonia frequently reuse descriptive elements, multiple places may share the same name without implying any direct connection between them. When researching Kõrvale, it is important to specify the county or parish to identify the precise location. In encyclopedic contexts, Kõrvale is typically treated as a geographic name with several possible instances rather than a single prominent topic. See also Estonian toponymy and lists of place names formed from geographic descriptors.