Tõlkijanimed kirjastuse Loodus ilukirjandusväljaannetes (1920–1940): Isiku- ja varjunimede kaardistus ning arhiivimaterjali kasutamine isikute identifitseerimiseks
Translator names in the fiction publications of Loodus (1920–1940): Mapping personal names and pseudonyms – the potential of archival materials for identifying individuals

Summary/Abstract: Founded in 1920 as a publisher of natural science textbooks, Loodus grew into the largest publishing house in interwar Estonia. From 1928 onward, the systematic publication of translated fiction became central to its activities. This article investigates the translator names under which Loodus published literary translations, with a particular focus on identifying the individuals behind pseudonyms The study is based on a bibliography of 485 translated works published between 1921 and 1940, which revealed 119 translator names, including 43 suspected or confirmed pseudonyms. Among the sources consulted, Loodus’s account books preserved in the National Archives provided the most significant new information, although some entries appear to record pseudonymous names. Translator names were grouped into three categories: previously identified pseudonyms; previously unidentified pseudonymous translator names; and names in the national bibliography lacking birth and death dates, which may suggest pseudonymity. Pseudonyms were classified using August Palm’s typology, supplemented by the author’s category of “surname pseudonym”. Although gaps in the archival record limited some identifications, several earlier assumptions could be revised and previously overlooked translators identified. The study also revisits collective pseudonyms, notably “Juhan Lõhmus”, previously believed to represent two translators but shown here to have been used by at least six individuals. Conversely, some individuals published under multiple pseudonyms. The most common strategy was the adoption of a full pseudonym; other practices included the use of a pseudonymous surname, the adaptation of foreign-sounding names into Estonian, and the adoption of a male pseudonym. In printed books, translators were often presented in a gender-neutral form consisting of an initial followed by a surname. Some pseudonymous translators were employees of Loodus, suggesting that pseudonyms may at times have served to obscure internal production. They may also have been used to conceal favouritism or unusually prolific output, or to provide anonymity for beginners or for those who preferred to remain private. By adopting a microhistorical approach, the study fills gaps in translator history and demonstrates that meaningful generalizations about Estonian literary translation depend on combining bibliographic records with archival research in order to make translators visible.

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