Otto Wilhelm Masing

Title page of 'ABD' by Otto Wilhelm Masing, published in 1795

Otto Wilhelm Masing (1763 in Lohusuu – 1832 in Äksi) was an early Livonian Estophile and a major advocate of peasant rights, especially regarding education.

In 1795, Masing compiled and published a children's reading textbook, the ABD. (The letter 'C' does not appear in Estonian words, and back then, was not considered a member of Estonian alphabet. This considered, the title could be translated as "ABC.")

In 1821–1823, Masing published a newsletter Marahva Näddala-Leht (Estonian for Peasant's Weekly), one of the earliest regular publications in Estonian language.

Among other linguistic contributions, Masing is credited with creating the letter 'õ' to denote an Estonian phoneme not found in other nearby languages.

External links

• Estonica: 1710–1850. The Baltic Landesstaat. Emergence of national consciousness and Estophilia

Persondata
Name	Masing, Otto Wilhelm
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1763
Place of birth
Date of death	1832
Place of death