Spithami Explained

Official Name:Spithami
Settlement Type:Village
Image Caption:Põõsaspea cape in Spithami
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Estonia
Subdivision Type1:County
Subdivision Name1:Lääne
Subdivision Type2:Parish
Subdivision Name2:Lääne-Nigula
Timezone:EET
Utc Offset:+2
Timezone Dst:EEST
Utc Offset Dst:+3

Spithami (Swedish: Spithamn) is a village in Lääne-Nigula Parish, Lääne County, in northwestern Estonia.[1] It was inhabited by Estonian Swedes until World War II. During Soviet rule it was a military area in which civilian entry was banned.

Earlier forms of the village's name include Spithaven, Spithave, Spithaff (all mentioned in 1514), Spythave (1564), Spiuthampn, Spithaven (both 1565) and Spiuthambre (1798). In Estonian, the village has been also called Põõsaspea (mentioned as Põesapi in 1922) before moving to the current form, which is an Estonian spelling of the original Swedish toponym. Nowadays the name Põõsaspea only indicates a nearby cape situated inside the village's borders.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: X-GIS(4) Portal . xgis.maaamet.ee . 26 July 2021.