mägi

Mägi is the Estonian word for a natural elevation of the Earth's surface that is typically smaller than a mountain. In everyday language it covers both hills and mountains, depending on context, and is commonly translated as hill or mountain in English. The plural form is mäed. In formal geography the term is less specific than technical terms, but it remains the standard non-technical word for a single raised feature.

Etymology and related forms: Mägi is of Finnic origin, cognate with Finnish mäki and related to other Finnic languages. The word reflects a broad, traditional usage for raised land, rather than a strict geological category.

Usage and nuance: Mägi is widely used in Estonian toponyms and common speech. It can denote a modest hill within a landscape as well as a more prominent peak, with the exact size often inferred from local context. For larger, more rugged landscapes, terms like mäestik (mountain range) or kõrgendik (high ground) may be used in addition to or instead of mägi in technical descriptions.

Notable example: The highest point in Estonia is Suur Munamägi, a well-known mägi in the southeastern highlands, rising to around 318 meters above sea level. The name itself illustrates how mägi occurs in Estonian place names as a descriptor of a notable elevation.

See also: Estonian language, toponymy, geography.