Special Issue

The Estonian Translation Database: A Novel Platform for the Study of Periodicals in Translation History 

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Abstract

Using new ways of compiling data on literary translations, this paper challenges the prevalent book-centric bias in translation history by highlighting the under-recognised significance of periodicals. The authors introduce the Estonian Translation Database (ETD), a novel platform incorporating metadata on literary translations published in Estonian as books and in periodicals from 1850 to 2010. The ETD’s structure is designed specifically for research in translation history and allows for quantitative and qualitative analysis. The study presented in this article discusses the challenges of making a comprehensive translation database that includes periodicals and demonstrates different ways to use the ETD for synchronic and diachronic research, focusing on literary translations in periodicals from the nineteenth century. As has been observed for other regions, periodicals facilitated the early introduction of foreign literatures and authors into Estonian culture, revealing a broader literary landscape than what has been apparent in literary and cultural histories based on book translations alone. The comprehensive approach to translation history enabled by the ETD significantly reshapes our understanding of cultural exchange and dynamics in Estonia, which stands in dialogue with similar investigations in other contexts. 

Keywords: translation history, periodical studies, digital humanities, Estonian Translation Database, cultural transfer, metadata analysis, 19th century translation

How to Cite:

Monticelli, D. & Saagpakk, M., (2026) “The Estonian Translation Database: A Novel Platform for the Study of Periodicals in Translation History ”, Journal of European Periodical Studies 11(1), 8-29. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/jeps.94708