Mati Erelt

{{Short description|Estonian linguist (1941–2024)}}

File:Mati Erelt.JPG

Mati Erelt (12 March 1941 – 12 October 2024) was an Estonian linguist.{{cite web |title=CV: Mati Erelt |url=https://www.etis.ee/CV/Mati_Erelt |website=etis.ee |access-date=13 February 2022}}

Erelt was born in Tallinn. In 1965 he graduated from the University of Tartu with a degree in Estonian language and literature. He defended his doctoral dissertation there in 1981.

From 1989 until 1991 he was a professor at Tallinn Pedagogical Institute. From 1991 to 1995 he was a visiting professor at the Chair of Finno-Ugric Languages at the University of Helsinki, and from 1995 to 2006 he was a professor at the Chair of Estonian at the University of Tartu. He was later Professor Emeritus at the University of Tartu as well as a Senior Research Fellow.

From 1997 until 2006 he was the chairman of Mother Tongue Society.

Erelt was married to linguist Tiiu Erelt.{{cite web |title=Erelt, Tiiu - Eesti Entsüklopeedia |url=http://entsyklopeedia.ee/artikkel/erelt_tiiu |website=entsyklopeedia.ee |access-date=15 February 2022}} He died on 12 October 2024, at the age of 83.{{cite news |title=Suri eesti keele uurija ja õpetaja Mati Erelt |url=https://www.err.ee/1609490911/suri-eesti-keele-uurija-ja-opetaja-mati-erelt |access-date=15 October 2024 |publisher=ERR}}