Founded in 2006. The journal publishes articles in linguistics, literary studies, history, philosophy, ethnology and other fields of humanities. A diverse discourse of regionalism is developed in the research.
Vilniaus universiteto leidykla / Vilnius University Press
Copyright (c) 2026 Authors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Shifts in Klaipėda City Urbanonyms in 1903–1939
<span lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> Klaipėda<span lang="ar-SA" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> <span lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">– Lithuania’s largest coastal city<span lang="ar-SA" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> <span lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">– belonged to different countries during the 20<span class="CharOverride-5" lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">th<span lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> century; therefore, its linguistic landscape is characterized by intense change linked to shifts in the political system. Although the official urbanonyms of this city most clearly reflect the peculiarities of the linguistic and cultural landscape, there has been no detailed analysis of the semantic motivation and strategies used to change the language of urbanonyms in the 20<span class="CharOverride-5" lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">th<span lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> century. There has been no systematic analysis of what strategy (direct translation, indirect translation, name change) was used when changing the language of urbanonyms. This article aims to analyse the semantic motivation and linguistic changes of Klaip<span lang="ar-SA" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">ėda’s<span lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> official urbanonyms between 1903 and 1939. The chronological framework of the study covers periods of historical and sociocultural significance for the city of Klaipėda: 1903–1923 (during the German Empire’s rule until the Lithuanian takeover of the Klaipėda region), 1923–1939 (from the Lithuanian takeover of the Klaipėda region until the annexation of Klaipėda to Nazi Germany). The article presents an overview of Klaipėda socio-cultural landscape in the 20<span class="CharOverride-5" lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">th<span lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> century, including the relationship and change in the prestige of the Lithuanian and German languages, as well as the peculiarities of urbanonyms’ semantic motivation models and strategies of linguistic official urbanonyms change. After examining 246 official Klaipėda city urbanonyms, it was found that between 1923 and 1939, official urbanonyms were changed in two ways. The majority of urbanonyms (75,76%) were translated using a literal translation strategy, while 7,58% of official urbanonyms were not translated but changed. The change of urbanonyms most strongly affected the composition of the semantic groups of urbanonyms related to personal names and professions.
Copyright (c) 2026 Aistė Šiaulytė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Lithuanian Labour Migration to Latvia in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The article examines Lithuanian labour migration to the provinces of Courland and Livonia in the late 19<sup class="superscript _idGenCharOverride-1" lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">th<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> and early 20<sup class="superscript _idGenCharOverride-1" lang="en-US" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">th<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> centuries. It discusses the main reasons for migration: surplus labour in rural Lithuania, slow development of local industry, and rapid growth of Latvian industry. It shows that Riga and Liepāja became the most important centres of attraction for Lithuanians due to their developed industry, higher wages, and geographical proximity. The article analyses the Latvian labour market, the structure of industry, and its demand for unskilled and semi-skilled labour. It reveals that Lithuanians worked both in industrial enterprises (especially in the chemical, metal, textile, and food industries) and in agriculture in rural areas of Latvia. The article discusses the working and living conditions of Lithuanians, differences in remuneration, and the importance of qualifications for earnings. It also examines the social relations between Lithuanian migrant workers and local workers, including competition in the labour market and conflicts during strikes. The article concludes that Lithuanian labour migration played an important role in the formation of the Latvian economy and the urban proletariat prior to the First World War.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dangiras Mačiulis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
About the Dialectal Forms of Verbs in the Novella “Purva bridējs” (1898) by Latvian Writer Rūdolfs Blaumanis and the Novella Sequel Written in the 21st Century
<p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The article begins with information about both literary works, writers and their relationship to dialects. The following is a look at the special features of the verbal forms of Blaumanis’ novella “Purva bridējs” (1898) and Nella no Krotes’ novel “Kumeļu sauks Delveris” (2013), which, compared to the dialectological materials of the Latvian language published in the 20th century, was managed to identify as characteristic of one or other dialect of the Latvian language. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The following grammatical forms and phenomena have been analysed: 1) The feminine ending -use, (reflexive) -usēs of the past active participle; 2) The no-stem forms of verbs instead the Standard Latvian i̯o-stem forms; 3) A special form būtuot in the subjunctive mood; 4) The non-differentiation of verbal person forms. The first three forms of the verbs are taken from Blaumanis’ novella and must be regarded as a peculiar feature of his native subdialect in Ērgļi and other places in the same Selonic subdialects of the High Latvian dialect. The non-differentiation of verbal person forms (when the 3rd person form is generalized instead of other forms), is a typical feature of the Livonic dialect. A new character introduced into the novel “Kumeļu sauks Delveris” uses it once. Nevertheless, in the works of dialectology, which reflect the dialects of the 2nd half of the 20th century, such forms are also fixed in some places in Selonic subdialects of the High Latvian dialect. However, that data does not support the conclusion that such forms were also used there during Blaumanis’ life, at the end of the 19th century.
Copyright (c) 2026 Evija Liparte https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Interactions between Local Communities and Cultural Heritage: From Expectations to Realities. The Case of Lithuania
<p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the paradigm of cultural heritage changed significantly. At that time, the view also became established that it is important to involve communities (heritage custodians “from below”) in heritage conservation processes – not only to include them, but also to regard the communities themselves as an equal or even the most important factor and actor in heritage protection. In this context, the term “heritage communities” can be interpreted broadly and flexibly, depending on the specific country and case under consideration. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The object of this research is officially established and registered local communities in Lithuania. This is probably the largest group of official communities in Lithuania. The research aims to find out the extent to which theories and assumptions about the importance of heritage for the sense of community, identity, and self-awareness of social groups in general are true, and to what extent heritage is specifically important for local communities, as well as whether they inherently possess the potential and willingness to function as heritage communities. The findings of the research question the importance of heritage for local communities and reveal a distinctive perception of its benefits, where engagement with heritage is primarily associated not with the preservation of heritage itself, but with its benefits for the community. Heritage is not a value in itself; it is important only insofar as it can contribute to meeting the fundamental needs of the community.
Copyright (c) 2026 Salvijus Kulevičius https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Reflections of the June 1940 Events in the Šiauliai Region in the Press of that Time
<p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The article examines Lithuanian press coverage from the second half of June 1940 relating to events in Šiauliai. The research employs both analytical and descriptive methods. The study draws on the local newspaper Įdomus mūsų momentas (“Our Interesting Moment”), published in Šiauliai at the time, as well as the national Lithuanian press. The paper aims to identify the main themes in the press coverage and illustrate them with concrete examples. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In the first half of June 1940, Lithuanian newspapers and journals did not publish any particularly notable reports clearly indicating rapid and fundamental changes in the country’s life, but the situation changed in the second half of the month, when Soviet authority began to establish themselves in Lithuania. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The press of that time often wrote about the presence of the Red Army in Šiauliai as an undeniable and significant factor, although this was later downplayed in Soviet-era literature. It also reported on changes among leading officials in the Šiauliai region, without providing detailed explanations of these issues. The press also mentioned the first cases of people fleeing from Šiauliai abroad. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Most attention in the press was devoted to the pro-Soviet rally held in Šiauliai on June 27, without revealing the behind-the-scenes aspects of its organisation. It is noteworthy that the reproduction of speeches from the rally and their quotations in the press reflected further steps by the Soviet authorities. Another event of national importance that took place in Šiauliai was the release of political prisoners (communists) from prison, which received considerable coverage in the press. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In addition to political developments, the press also included information of a more domestic (economic) nature, although these were overshadowed by political events. These non-political events may have been described more objectively by the press. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">It can be assumed that all press publications, being subject to censorship, did not necessarily reflect the real situation or the actual course of events in Šiauliai and across Lithuania.
Copyright (c) 2026 Darius Juodis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Sustainable Heritage Conservation between Declarations and Tensions: Opportunities and Limits of Community Engagement
<p class="kunas ParaOverride-1" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This article examines the issue of community engagement in heritage conservation processes, which is increasingly presented today as one of the key prerequisites for sustainable heritage conservation. Sustainable heritage conservation is understood here as a process that integrates the protection of cultural heritage, the cultivation of cultural identity, and the empowerment of communities. Although official cultural heritage policy discourse consistently declares the goal of community inclusion, in practice participation often remains limited, shaped by institutional control or highly formalized mechanisms. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The article analyses three interrelated levels: how the concept of sustainability has become established within heritage conservation discourse; how community engagement is articulated in political and legal practice; and how these principles encounter real tensions and conflicts. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">At the first level, the article discusses how the concept of sustainability has evolved from a narrow ecological perspective into a broader framework encompassing cultural policy and principles of participation. The second level reveals how community participation is formally constructed within political and legal arenas, often being confined to procedural forms of inclusion. At the third level, the article explores how these discrepancies become visible in situations of conflict. Drawing on critical heritage studies, conflict is understood not as a malfunction of the heritage conservation system but as an inevitable practice arising from competing interests, value frameworks, and power positions. Conflicts over heritage values, interpretations, and decision-making authority allow heritage to be seen not as a fixed object but as a field of negotiation in which the right to speak on behalf of heritage is contested.
Copyright (c) 2026 Toma Buivydaitė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Constructing Regional Identity in English and Lithuanian Newspaper Headlines: A Comparative Discourse Analysis
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This research investigates the linguistic construction of regional identity in English and Lithuanian newspaper headlines using a comparative approach that combines qualitative discourse analysis with quantitative method. The research is based on a corpus of approximately 300 headlines collected from four regional newspapers: <em class="italikas" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Manchester Evening News<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> and <em class="italikas" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Liverpool Echo<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> (United Kingdom) as well as <em class="italikas" lang="ar-SA" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Šiaulių kraštas<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> ‘Šiauliai Region’ and <em class="italikas" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Vakarų ekspresas <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">‘Western Express’<em class="italikas" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">(Lithuania). The analysis focuses on structural and stylistic features characteristic of headline discourse, including ellipsis, nominalisation, metaphor, wordplay, allusion, as well as emotive and evaluative language. The findings demonstrate that headlines in both languages rely on syntactic compression to convey information efficiently, although the specific realisations differ due to typological differences between English and Lithuanian. English headlines frequently employ ellipsis through the omission of articles and auxiliary verbs, whereas Lithuanian headlines tend to favour noun-based constructions and reduced clause structures. In both corpora, regional identity is constructed through frequent references to place names, local institutions, and community actors, which contextualise the news discourse within a specific geographical and social context. The research also reveals that English headlines more often use expressive strategies, such as emotive and evaluative language, metaphorical framing, while Lithuanian headlines demonstrate a relatively more informational and community-oriented style, though they also incorporate stylistic devices. Overall, the results highlight the role of headlines as condensed yet effective discursive units that shape representations of regional reality.
Copyright (c) 2026 Solveiga Sušinskienė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Lexical Markers of Regional History (Podillia, Ukraine)
The paper considers linguistic mirroring of the regional history of Podillia in Mid-Western Ukraine. The territory now termed as Podillia (Ukrainian поділ – lowland, plain) is situated on the crossroads of trade, military, religious, cultural, ethnic routes the intertwining of which affected the local placenames and speech. Mostly, the centre of Podillia – the town of Kamianets-Podilskyi – reflected and preserved the eventful past and kept the memories of the years gone by. The historic events, processes, policies, transformations the region went through left their traces in the landmarks which are still in use today, these refer to the names of villages (Мукарів Татарський / Mukariv Tatarskyi, Татаринці / Tataryntsi), town streets and districts (Вулиця Князів Коріатовичів / Vulytsia Kniaziv Koriatovychiv – Karijotaičiai; Вулиця Татарська ‘Tatarska Street’; ринок / rynok (Rynek), its suburbs (Каравсари / Karvasary ‘Caravanserai’). There are numerous lexemes in the local speech which appeared after the invasions, close contacts with other peoples, partitions of the countries, state treaties, political contracts, etc. These lingual units bear the national colouring of the source language and decorate the local speech of Podillia dwellers making it peculiar and recognizable due to the historic past our region went through. The paper is an attempt to analyze and systematize the etymology of linguistic signs, the reasons and nature of borrowings, the causes and logic of nominations and their value for the further generations of Podollians.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alla Marchyshyna | Anatolii Skrypnyk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Authors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Significance of St. John’s Day in the Socio-Cultural Space of the Lithuanian-Latvian Borderland
<p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The object of the article is St. John’s Day in the socio-cultural space of the Lithuanian-Latvian borderland. The aim is to find out what significance the St. John’s Day had in different border areas. Empirical material collected by the author in several stages (in 2008–2019) as well as the press were used to reveal the topic. The methods applied in this research were quantitative content analysis, case analysis, interpretive, and comparative methods. The theoretical approaches of anthropologists and sociologists talking about the construction of identity were relevant for the analysis of the topic. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">St. John’s Day is an important cultural attribute of the Lithuanian-Latvian borderland, reflecting the ethnic and social processes that took place and are still taking place here. In the socio-cultural space of the borderland, St. John’s Day performed functions related to the formation of both Latvian and Lithuanian ethnic identity. In some places, this festival acted as a very clear ethnic boundary marker, which also had a physical form – a festive attribute of fire, i.e. Joninės expressed the identity of the Latvian ethnic group. In other places, Joninės was an important sign of ethnic identity for both Lithuanians and Latvians, but ethnic difference was expressed through the national language, i.e. during the festival it was important not only to speak the relevant language, but also to use the cultural attributes related to it – songs, dances or games. It has also been observed that St. John’s Day celebration served a social capital function, i.e. it was a tool that helped to rise in the social hierarchy. In other words, it is typical for actors in the socio-cultural space of the Lithuanian-Latvian boderland to strive to be culturally equal to the Latvian ethnic group, which had a significant role in this border region, and in some areas even a higher status. Finally, this festival played an important role of ethnic tolerance –- it united the community of a particular village or town, and at the same time helped to form a distinctive and multi-layered local identity of the borderland resident.
Copyright (c) 2025 Aukse Noreikaitė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Dialectal Attitudes of Juozas Balčikonis: Dialectal and Figurative Lexicon in His Writings
In 2025, the 140th anniversary of Juozas Balčikonis is being commemorated – a historian of language, dialectologist, grammar specialist, toponymist, folklorist, promoter of linguistic purity, and lexicographer. Juozas Balčikonis was born in Panevėžys region, which belongs to the expansive and vibrant Eastern Aukštaitian (Panevėžys) subdialect. He repeatedly expressed – both directly and indirectly – a positive attitude toward dialects, concern for their future, and emphasized the significance of dialectal forms for linguistic science. Numerous such remarks can be found throughout his published works dealing with language issues. This article discusses Balčikonis’s dialectal views and examines dialectal vocabulary, vivid words, and expressions that appear in his writings. The analysis draws on examples from the two-volume Collected Works (Rinktiniai raštai), published in 1978 and 1982 (compiled by Aldonas Pupkis), the memoir book Add Word to Word – You’ll Have a Dictionary (Dėk žodį prie žodžio – turėsi žodyną), compiled by Birutė Goberienė and Aldonas Pupkis (2006), as well as on various folktale translations carried out by the linguist himself. The study shows that Balčikonis most often addressed the importance of dialects in articles written for the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language, and he frequently treated the linguistic features – lexical or grammatical – of his native dialect as benchmarks, viewing them as unquestionable when proposing or validating certain grammatical forms or toponymic equivalents in the standard Lithuanian language. Moreover, Balčikonis made abundant use of dialectal features and vivid lexicon in his own work – both in folktale translations and non-fictional texts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Irena Kruopienė | Genovaitė Kačiuškienė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania and the City: Creating of Cultural Integrity
Considering that many papers of urban anthropology written by Lithuanian anthropologists and ethnologists are related to the rural culture, this article raises the question what kind of the relation could be revealed between the city and the ethnographic region. The paper aims to conceptually reveal why a city could or could not be considered as a part of a certain ethnographic region and absolutely represent the identity of an ethnographic region in which it is located. This paper is based on theoretical papers of urban anthropology and sociology, texts by foreign and Lithuanian anthropologists analyzing the concept of a region, papers by Lithuanian ethnologists revealing the features of constructing ethnographic regions of Lithuania; by analyzing the ethnographic and dialect maps of Lithuania. The article proposes that there is no conceptual anthropological definition of a region, however, because region could be constructed externally, it often gains an instrumental and classification function, i.e, to combine or separate smaller units. Specifically, the strict line defining the borders of a region on the ethnographic map marks similarities and differences. The ethnographic regions of Lithuania have been constructed by using the approach which is based on moving from the center (certain features are expressed the brightest) towards the periphery where expression of certain features diminishes. This means that the entire evenly marked area on the ethnographic map is considered as culturally integral. Nevertheless, the ethnographic regions of Lithuania have been formed not only based on ethnographic material, but also based on the historical findings, which legitimizes existence of a certain territory by confirming the origin of the name and formation of borders, also prevalence of dialects, which is considered as one of the most significant identity features of a region. The article highlights that an ethnographic region is perceived not only as a cultural integrity, but it also gains an administrative function along with distinguished organizational centers – cities, approved coats of arms, flags, and established “government”. The article reveals that, in terms of the social structure, a city is a completely different organization in comparison to a rural community representing regional culture. Unlike a rural, which is associated with similarity, closeness, tradition, and stability, a city is defined as a densely populated territory with prevailing variety of people, cultures and activities, individuality, characteristic of continuous development and modernization, whereas closeness stems from the need to survive. The article concludes that belonging of a city to an ethnographic region is questionable because the social and cultural features of the city are different from those associated with an ethnographic region, as constructed cultural integrity, however, a city may be considered as the administrative center of an ethnographic region.
Copyright (c) 2019 Authors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Spanish Confraternities of Our Lady of Mercy, the Redeemer of Captives in the Samogitian Diocese: History and Importance to Local Piety Traditions
The article has gathered and systematised data about the confraternities of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives (Latin: Beatae Maria de Mercede) that were active in the Samogitian Diocese in the 18th and 19th centuries. After a short introduction of the religious order of Mercedarians, the founder of these confraternities, and the spread of the cult of Our Lady of Mercy in the Catholic Church promoted by the order, the article concentrated on the history of the said confraternities in Lithuanian Catholic churches and the scope of existing research as well as possible directions of further investigations. The Mercedarians themselves have never settled in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania) and, based on currently available data, the said confraternities only operated in the old Samogitian Diocese (its former area before the administrative and territorial reform that took place in the mid-19th century). Here, since the 1720s, 11 or 12 confraternities of Our Lady of Mercy have been founded in churches starting with the Diocese centre in Varniai: Varniai St. Alexander Church and parish churches or chapels of ease of Lioliai, Girkalnis, Šatės, Šakyna, Gardamas, Pakruojis, Kurtuvėnai, Judrėnai, Lieplaukė, Skirsnemunė and Pernarava (?). The popes and local bishops permitted to found them after the cult of Our Lady of Mercy spread outside the Mercedarian order: in 1696 pope Innocent XII extended the feast day of Our Lady of Mercy to the entire Catholic Church dedicating September 24 for this purpose. The main indulgence feasts of the said Samogitian confraternities were associated with this day (although there were exceptions) and the dates for other events of the confraternities used to be separately set by the local bishop. Indulgence feasts of the same title that used to be celebrated in several more churches and chapels of this diocese or historically related areas were likely influenced by these confraternities as well. These confraternities of Our Lady of Mercy have left some traces in the religious culture of the Samogitian Diocese and Marian art that need further research. The investigation of these confraternities in the Samogitian Diocese deepens our knowledge of the impact of the Spanish religious culture and art on the Catholic traditions of this Lithuanian region.
Third Century University – a Factor Reducing Social and Cultural Exclusion of the Elderly People in the Region
The problems of the elderly people are becoming an increasingly relevant object of research. Third Century Universities are a modern form of non-formal adult education that is increasingly becoming more popular and recognized in Lithuania. Larger or smaller third century universities in various parts of Lithuania are gradually becoming an important form of cultural life for the elderly people, a tool for reducing social exclusion. Sociologists claim that the elderly people face a dual social exclusion: cultural – driven by negative societal attitudes, and economic – driven by poverty. This is particularly felt by people of the periphery, remote regions, as the standard of living here is lower and their cultural field provides less opportunities to meet the various needs of a 21st century person. The aim of this article is to discuss the Third Century University as a factor reducing social and cultural exclusion of the elderly people in the regions. Research methods are as follows: the analysis of theoretical literature, case analysis (the experience of the Faculty of Humanities of Šiauliai Third Age University is analysed), the analysis of semi-structured questionnaire data. The phenomenon of the Third Century University is examined in a socio-cultural context, emphasizing social exclusion, quality of life and other aspects. The article provides a brief overview of research on Third Century Universities in Lithuania. The conclusion can be drawn that Third Century Universities undoubtedly contribute to improving the quality of life of the elderly people, as subjective well-being is also linked to access to education. In addition, TCU also helps to prevent the marginalization of people of retirement age, improves social integration of retirees into society. Meeting the need for self-education also solves problems of social exclusion: without investing large sums, people of retirement age can attend quality studies, learn useful things, and communicate with their peers. In turn, Third Century Universities enrich social and cultural life of the region through their activities.
The Role of Latvian Catholic Church Textiles in Perfecting People’s Aesthetic Values
Under the National Research Program “Letonika” in University of Latvia, the scientific topic “The Role of Latvian Catholic Church Textiles in Perfecting People’s Aesthetic Values” was started. In the frame of the project, the author has begun to identify the textiles in Catholic churches in Latgale, paying special attention to the raw materials and handicraft techniques used in their making that had a special role in increasing people’s cultural and living standards. The material collected in churches is very diverse. It shows many layers of culture, different materials, techniques and adornments. According to functionality, Catholic liturgical vestments can be classified as follows: the liturgical clothing of priests (clergy attire) and interior textiles of the church (altar cover, flags, baldachin, etc.). According to the techniques of the material and performance applied, liturgics textile fabrics may be divided into: colored liturgics textiles and white liturgics textiles. The author’s special interest was caused by the likeness of alb and surplice to the cut of peasants’ shirts. Phenomenally, that worldwide straight thread cut and traditional crosscutting technology of the cut of alb and surplice has survived until now. However, among peasants this cut of shirts disappeared at the turn of the 20th century. In the 19th century, there was mutual influence in church and peasant textiles. Namely, the church used local materials in the making of liturgics textiles (fine linen fabrics were in great respect) and traditional shirt cuts that have been recognized for many generations, but the peasants (through the church) became aware of new raw materials, craft materials, artwork machinery and compositions. Perhaps the peasants of the church took advantage of techniques such as open work, embroidered net, crochet laces, Richelieu and English embroidery, with which the ordinary people willingly embroidered their clothing and room textiles. The decorated church’s textiles encouraged the peasants to learn new crafts, to make their clothing and interior designs more beautiful and timely. New needlework knowledge improved the cultural level of the nation, raised awareness of the beauty and timeliness, and provided insight into art trends in Europe. At the same time, the pursuit of everything new, methodically led to a reduction in the specificity of traditional lifestyle.
Ethnological, Teleological and Axiological Components of the Traditional Upbringing in the Early 20th Century in Bosnia and Herzegovina
This paper looks at and compares two books. The first is entitled “The Life and Practices of Croats of Catholic Faith in Bosnia and Herzegovina” (Sarajevo, 1908) and was written by Nikola Buconjić (1865–1947), a poet, prose writer and ethnographer. The title of the second one is “Muslim Life and Practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina” (Sarajevo, 1907, 2nd ed.). It was written by Antuna Hangija (1866–1909), an ethnographer and folklorist. Both writers worked as teachers. The books served to look at the foundations, methodologies, teleology and axiology of the process of raising children at the beginning of the 20th century in one part of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian population. It has been noted that the process of raising children is based on respect for authority and family hierarchy focusing on the child at the end of that process. The authority, on the other hand, builds its foundation on the right to have access to material goods and is further reinforced by tradition, social system and religion. Implementation (methodology) of the educational process is marked by minimal technical, educational and medical conditions, with a high percentage of child mortality. According to the traditional pattern of education, it was considered that it was necessary to allow an immature individual to adopt a form of socially acceptable behaviour based on respect for authority (teleology) according to the principle: the child is allowed – the child is forbidden. The relevant authorities are parents, followed by teachers or the state, and the church. With the development of the means of production and the raising of the level of literacy and schooling, the conditions can be reached for the child to be raised as an independent and self-aware individual and a responsible member of society. The results of the research study conducted for the purpose of this article have shown low familiarity of today’s young generation with the popular beliefs from Buconjić’s and Hangi’s books.
Kaip namie (Just like at home): Sociolinguistic Interpretation of the Phraseological Idiom
Phraseological comparison kaip namie (Just like at home) is used whilst selfexplaining the local as well as spiritual (emotional) self-knowledge in the place that you are: do you feel like you are at home, just like home or do you feel foreign. The most important aspects of “home” are place, people, language and culture. The concept of “home” could be constructed from one or a few of the aspects, their harmony. The phraseological comparison implicates complicated semantics: first of all, from the adverb namie “at home”, we can apprehend that we are talking about a specific (physical, real, or abstract, imaginary, unreal) place, space; second, this adverb connected with the conjunction kaip “like” can show that we are talking about not-home – place which only from a certain angle can resemble home. In dictionaries, this phraseological definition can be found: “[to feel] good, free”. Context clues show that speakers are fond of the “comfortable, secure” meaning. In addition, context clues can display that some speakers (even from the younger generation) could associate the phraseological idiom kaip namie with a certain physical place, relatives, native language and even with the whole existence (of all the circumstances); others (especially younger ones) already have the cosmopolitan self-knowledge: they insist that they can feel like being at home anywhere. Academics of culture, sociologists assert that a modern person would more often search for home in culture and in a way is trying to bring back something that is slowly becoming foreign, changing substantial reality to circumstantial one. A very clear illustration of these points can be seen in the sculptor Antanas Šnaras’ phraseological sculpture-installation “Kaip namie”; in 2008, this gigantic, almost a meter and a half, in granite letters “written” phrase was placed in various squares of Vilnius for a brief moment.
The Main Phonetic and Morphological Features in the Deep Tamian (Tāmnieki) Subdialects of the Livonianized Dialect Nowadays
The present research aims at showing the usage of the most characteristic dialectal features in the deep Tamian subdialects of the Livonianized dialect nowadays. Main focus is on the typical phonetic and morphological features and the sociolinguistic observations of these subdialects. Analysis is based on the middle and older generation’s speech data gathered by recording the subdialects of Pope, Ziras, Piltene, Zlēkas, Ance, Dundaga, and Ugāle. The data analyzed in this paper gathered in the expeditions carried out by the author (2008–2017). In the majority of the researched deep Tamian subdialects the loss of short vowels and the reduction of long vowels in final syllables is still observed. Although these are the most typical phonetic peculiarities of the entire Livonianized dialect and are used by all generations’ speakers, those also tend to change even in the deep subdialects of Kurzeme not only in the speech of the younger generation’s speech, but also middle and older generation’s speakers begin to avoid using those, preferring standard language forms. Nowadays there are also several features in the deep Tamian subdialects which are used in the speech of the older generation only and which change under the influence of the standard language, for example, the loss of long vowels and diphthongs in suffixes and endings, the monophthongization and diphthongization, and other phonetic changes which are specific to the deep Tamian subdialects. One of the most prominent morphological features of the deep Tamian subdialects is the use of masculine gender forms instead of feminine which is still widespread and often used feature not only in the deep Tamian subdialects, but also in the Kurzeme’s non-deep subdialects and Vidzeme’s Livonianized subdialects. Another typical and often used morphological peculiarity is the use of the 3rd person verb forms in all persons and numbers. Both features appear more rarely in the speech of the younger generation than in the speech of the middle and older generation, because younger people are avoid using those, introducing the standard language forms instead of the dialectal forms. As the gathered materials show, it is still possible to hear typical phonetic and morphological features in the researched deep Tamian subdialects, but as it is clear that these features have changed since the last century, when extensive dialectal researches on Latvian dialectology were made, it is particularly important to study the dynamics of dialect phenomena nowadays.
The Derivational Field of the Noun kaimas (‘village’)
The majority of words of the Lithuanian lexicon are derivatives, not base words. In the Lithuanian language, words are derived not only from the base words, but from derivatives as well. Thus, in Lithuanian, a derivational field around a word is often formed. The article analyses the derivational field of the noun kaimas (‘village’). Having analyzed 108 derivatives with the root kaim found in Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language (LKŽe), Digital Supplement Card File of Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language (PK), Dictionary of Modern Lithuanian (DLKT), list of Dictionary of Standard Lithuanian (BŽa), the Database of Lithuanian Neologisms (NŽ) and The Corpus of the Contemporary Lithuanian Language (DLKT), the following conclusions were drawn: 1. The greater part of the derivational field of the noun kaimas comprises the derivatives of level 1 (62, or 57 percent of all derivatives); the number of level 2 derivatives is smaller (40, or 37 percent of all derivatives), the number of level 3 derivatives is the smallest (6, or 6 percent of all derivatives). 2. In the derivational field nouns dominate (86 derivatives were found): they make up 80 percent of all derivatives. The field has significantly fewer adjectives (13, or 12 percent of all derivatives), very few verbs (6, or 5 percent) and adverbs (3, or 3 percent). Some of derived nouns are abstract nouns, but most often they refer to a place and a person. 3. In addition to regular cognite derivatives recorded in dictionaries, the derivational field contains neologisms: they make up 11 percent of all derivatives. Most of the neologisms are potential derivatives: they are quite common, formed by regular types of word formation, and their meaning is easily understood from the context. Some of the neologisms can be considered to be uncommon derivatives. 4. Some of the derivatives with the same root are in free variation or are synonyms (16 sequences of derivational variants (DV) and 9 sequences of derivational synonyms (DS) were formed and analysed). Some DS have a high degree of synonymy, have identical or very similar meanings, are used in similar lexical environments, and can be substituted without much restriction. However, the DLKT data showed that usually there is a difference in the frequency of use of DS and DV sequence members: there is a tendency in the current Lithuanian language to use only certain members of synonym (and variant) sequence. Some derivatives (usually not included in DLKŽ and BŽa) are used very rarely or are not used in the current Lithuanian language at all.
Ὰ la guerre comme à la guerre: a Look at Lithuanian Public War Discourse
The aim of the present paper is to compare the specificity of war discourse actualized in the magazine KARYS of the July issues of the 1937 and 2017 years. In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives have been set: to define the limits of public war discourse; to classify the conceptual metaphors actualized in the texts; to summarize the most important concepts described in the texts; on the basis of the obtained results to make assumptions what world view is created in the issues of the magazine KARYS of different years. War discourse refers to the everyday life of the armed forces, military technology, military conflicts, people’s (un)willingness to fight for their homeland with a weapon and under threat of death, and thus values, moral choices and other topics that are fully revealed by conceptualizing metaphors. The implied target audience and the nature of the message conveyed to it can essentially change transferable features while actualizing a metaphor. After classifying and analysing the conceptual metaphors actualized in the magazine KARYS in the July issues of 1937 and 2017 years, it was revealed that they are universal, however, they differ in a variety of transferred features. The differences can be attributed to the particularities of the non-linguistic reality: since 1937, from an independent state, which was essentially a land of farmers, it was switched to the advanced state which has industry and developed technologies. All these factors are actualized in the metaphors of the relevant period. Some of the topics covered in both issues of the journal are common: it is written about the excellent preparation of Lithuanian soldiers, the troubled international situation is mentioned as well. The topics of the 2017 issue can be described as more realistic and the world view is described as more dramatic and gloomy.
The Names of the Regions of Latvia and Lithuania in the Second Baltic Language
The aim of the research is to find out the rendering and usage of Latvian and Lithuanian names of regions, singled out according to various criteria, in the second Baltic language. Dictionaries, encyclopaedias, press issues and information for tourists published in Lithuania and Latvia as well as other non-artistic texts, both written in Latvian or Lithuanian and translated into Latvian or Lithuanian, were chosen as sources for the investigation. The names of the five regions of Latvia, Kurzeme, Latgale, Sēlija, Vidzeme, Zemgale, are characteristic of quite diverse rendering and usage in the Lithuanian language. Systematically (and synchronically) assessing, the priority in giving a Latvian name of the region of Kurzeme the equivalent in Lithuanian Kuržemė as having a particular tradition of usage would be emphasised. However, recently, the growing popularity of the place name Kuršas in both historical and contemporary contexts is observed. Traditional and widespread equivalents are used in the following cases: the place name Vidzeme is rendered as Vidžemė and Latgale as Latgala; moreover, the usage of a Lithuanian equivalent Sėla being close to the name of the Latvian territory is suitable. A region of Southern Latvia, Zemgale, is most often named Žiemgala in Lithuanian. Nevertheless, in rare cases, other instances of the usage of these names, not always correct, were observed. As Latvian sources suggest, the rendering and usage of Lithuanian regions is much simpler. The most difficult name of the five regions, Aukštaitija, Dzūkija, Mažoji Lietuva, Suvalkija, Žemaitija, is the first one. Because of the difference in the consonants forming the basis of the root of the adjective having the same meaning (cf. Lithuanian aukštas and Latvian augsts), the forms Aukštaitija and Augštaitija were found; the form which is more similar to the original is the correct one. Both names Dzūkija and Žemaitija have no other variants differing from a Lithuanian form; and the name Suvalkija was used with a palatal consonant of the Latvian language, Suvaļkija, in one of the sources. Such rendering reflects pronunciation more precisely; however, still it has no tradition of being used. A complex name Mažoji Lietuva is usually translated word by word, Mazā Lietuva, even though, observing the analogy with other names of the same kind, it could be rendered by a compound Mazlietuva. The comparison of the names of regions demonstrates that the rendering of Latvian place names in Lithuanian and Lithuanian place names in Latvian is changing in both dictionaries and texts. Moreover, it is observed that it is difficult to render a Latvian word novads in Lithuanian, since it is used as both a synonym of a borrowing reģions and a name of a unit of territorial administrative division (in a spoken meaning, a Lithuanian equivalent nuovadas would be suitable).
Šiauliai County in the Correspondence of Povilas Višinskis
Sources of the article is the correspondence (reportages) written by literary, cultural, political activist Povilas Višinskis, that were published in the late 19th–early 20th centuries in “Varpas”, “Ūkininkas” and other publications. Višinskis enters into the history of writing as a publicist not only of large but also small texts by describing events, phenomena and problems related to a specific place and wider region. The aim of the article is to research the image of Šiauliai county through the prism of the relation between human and place, national and value identity, while looking at this region from the perspective of fundamental Višinskis’s provisions and style. Texts of Višinskis allow us to engage in a politically, socially, culturally rich and contradictory assessment of the events and phenomena of that time. Their connection with a specific place, allowing us to get to know this place and its wider context, emerges as a reliability criterion of ideological, cultural and social truth. The pursuit of truth in correspondence, manifesting through the criticism of the tsarist government, its laws or stereotypes entrenched in everyday life, takes the form of history, related to a specific place and its broader context. It allows a reader to get to know the rhythm of life of that place and at the same time the whole Lithuania, invites him to a more conscious relationship with his time in national, civic and other terms. A positive Višinskis’s view towards history and the present, the representation of social and cultural life is also very interesting. The connection of human and place is important in presenting culturally, politically and historically significant performances and gegužinės3. In the case of more militant or representative publicistic writing, the connection of human and place, supposing the identity of a local person, acts as a factor enhancing national identity and awareness.
Fathers of Genius: the Ambiguities of Power in Relations with their Fathers for Three Women Writers, Maria Edgeworth, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Virginia Woolf
18th and 19th century British social norms made it very difficult for talented women to become published writers: many of those who were successful owed a good deal to the help of their fathers. This article considers the particular nature of such father-daughter relationships, focusing on three women who became literary celebrities of their time, Maria Edgeworth, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Virginia Woolf. It also poses two questions: why the fathers in these cases acted against the rules for women by encouraging their daughters, and what price the three men paid for breaking rules. Research on the fathers, Richard Edgeworth, Edward Barrett and Leslie Stephen, reveals similarities among them. Although comfortably middle-class, they were still marginal in their societies; all had ambitions of their own which they failed to realize; and all devoted unusual amounts of time to their families. All of them encouraged their daughters’ literary development, in particular by giving them access to contemporary literature collected in their private libraries. Both Edgeworth and Barrett did a great deal to promote their daughters’ writings, while Stephen provided the model of a possible literary career. However, at a certain stage the fathers became less liberal, returning to the idea that women should be subordinate within their families. Maria Edgeworth had to write educational works to be allowed to write novels. Elizabeth Barrett Browning published her strongest works only after eloping with Robert Browning. Virginia Woolf was not able to write her modernist fiction until her father died. As for the fathers, Barrett and Stephen especially felt betrayed by their daughters in their later life.
The Peculiarities of the Formation of the Border Guard of the Republic of Latvia: the Example of the 4th Daugavpils Border Guard Battalion (1991–1997)
After the Republic of Latvia regained its independence, the question of its border status has become essential for its security. With the creation of the Ministry of Defence, already by 13th November 1991, it immediately began the herculean task of forming proper Latvian Armed Forces. The Border Guard Forces of the Republic of Latvia was the first main force formed by the Ministry of Defence, by 2nd January 1992 there were 2,309 state positions reserved for the Border Guard units from the combined 2,452 positions at the Ministry of Defence. Out of them, 226 formed the 4th Daugavpils Border guard battalion. Its aim was to guard the Latvian border with Belarus and Lithuania. Due to its location, it eventually became the largest Border Guard battalion, additionally, by 1994 already more than 90% of border violations occurred on the checkpoints facing Belarus and Russia, therefore, putting even more pressure on the battalion. The fact that practically all of the border guards serving in the battalion spoke Russian fluently definitely was a much needed skill when dealing with contrabandists and migrants who crossed the border illegally. However, when dealing with administrative tasks, for a lot of the border guards, especially the ones coming from Russian speaking families, this proved to be quite troublesome, since they had significant problems writing the reports and other written tasks on the time set to them by their superiors. Additionally, due to the fact that the border guard service at the time was mandatory, many of those drafted against their will suffered from the lack of discipline. For most of them this was because they lacked motivation to serve adequately, they were looking for ways to easier endure their service rather than stay in the military service afterwards. Of course, this problem was not an exception for the 4th Daugavpils Border Guard battalion, this issue was common in the entirety of the Latvian Armed Forces at that time, it was the crucial location of the battalion that made this problem so troubling. Despite all of the difficulties mentioned above, the battalion, somewhat mirroring the rapid development not just of the Republic of Latvia but of all three Baltic States, advanced quite quickly and by the year 1997 it sorted most of its logistical and administrative problems. When it was transferred under the command of the Ministry of Interior, the battalion was already fully staffed and operational.
The issue of flax was topical both in Latgale region and in Latvia in the 1920s. Flax fibre and linseeds were very important export goods in Latvia. Latgale region was the main producer of flax in the country, thanks to which Latgalian small holders could get real income. More than 10% of all agricultural land was used to grow flax. However, small holders did not get real income due to the establishment of a national flax monopoly, when flax was sold at the cheapest price. As the price of flax was very changeable on the world market, it was stored in warehouses and sold when the price grew. As a result, flax growers received only about a tenth of the profits the country got for flax exports. The government policy for getting too much profit from flax exports was criticized by Latgalian politicians. They defended the interests of flax growers. The market of flax in Latgale as well as in Latvia was also discredited by certain illegal practices of flax producers and collectors for self-benefit.
Marginal Women, Neglect and Abuse: Criminals or Victims in Soviet Society? A Case Reflected in Daugavpils Press (1953–1964)
Women marginalism as a social phenomenon in the Latvian SSR and Daugavpils city, during the period of the “Khrushchev thaw” (1953–1954), had its own characteristic spectrum, also neglect and abuse. In the Soviet period, in 1953–1964 years (time of government of N. Khrushchev in USSR), on the territory of Latvia, in case of the existing social and economic problems – low compensation, shortage of housing, deficit of essential goods and quality manufactured goods, difficult work with little reward and poverty, etc. men’s functions in the family, work and society, understanding of gender roles within the Soviet system and female emancipation, everyday traditions and spread of alcohol consumption among women in Latvian population, became pronounced. That was the foundation for the collapse of traditional patriarchal family and in women’s life occurred such problems as women crime and amoral lifestyle, psychical stress, aggression, neglect and abuse in family in soviet Latvian society. Women marginalism with neglect and abuse as a social phenomenon in the Latvian SSR and Daugavpils city during the period of the “Khrushchev thaw” had a variety of external and internal indicators. Marginal women – criminals or victims in Soviet society? Why were women as perpetrators or as victims of soviet life? How and why could it happen? This problem was vividly expressed in the materials of Daugavpils city press. The article aimed to analyse 23 articles of the Daugavpils press. In the example of women in Daugavpils, the analysis of Daugavpils city press materials, such as “Padomju Daugava” and “Krasnoje Znamja”, includes the history of women’s crimes (1953–1964) within the Soviet system, they are a sources to explore and construct the social reality in the past, formed a basis for reconstruction of crimes and of a social portrait of marginal women, give the chance to establish correlation between age, origin, education level, employment, marital status, the social status, a criminal record and commited neglect and abuse acts. The analysis revealed the influence of the social environment on decline of moral standards and motives, which in interaction with personal and psychological characteristics of women promoted the growth of crime among women.
“Who does not kill hogs will not get black puddings” – Parasitism and Parasite in Soviet Society (based on the materials of the Daugavpils City Prosecutor’s Office and the city press (1953–1964))
In the Soviet period, also called “Khrushchev thaw” (1953–1964), in the territory of Latvia, in the Soviet society it was actively fought against parasitism as a way of life of any person, who without justifiable reasons was not working for the benefit of the Soviet state. The struggle against parasitism, codified by the normative acts of the USSR, also had a clearly expressed ideological character. “Who does not kill hogs will not get black puddings” – a popular slogan of the Soviet era, pressing to a struggle against any manifestation of parasitism as a parasitic existence at the expense of society. A parasitism or parasite in Soviet society was any woman ranging from women with pronounced marginal behavior (tramps, women with alcohol addiction, thieves, fraudsters, women of deviant sexual behavior), underground business leaders to housewives who care only about their family and children. The article investigates the problem of female parasitism in the Soviet and in the Latvian society of that historical period in the city Daugavpils. The basis of the investigation are the materials of the prosecution cases of the Daugavpils Regional State Archive of the Latvian National Archive (DZGA LNA), 875 fund, inventory number 1 as well as the publications in the press of Daugavpils: annual issues between 1953 and 1964 “Padomju Daugava” and “Red Banner”. The materials of the prosecutor’s office are used as the sources for the recreation of the parasitism as a social phenomenon of the past. The analysis covers a deep and fully showdown of facts of the existence of these women and social reasons that pushed them to the life image that was called parasitism during the Soviet era. The reflection of the Daugavpils city press about the problem of female parasitism deepens the idea of the causes and manifestations of female parasitism in Soviet society as well as the opposition to this phenomenon of the Soviet regime and society.
Regional Factor in Transnational Relations: the Experience of Latvia and Lithuania in the 1920s
By the end of Latvia’s struggle for freedom, the Republic of Latvia, proclaimed in 1918, acquired land border with four countries: and if in separate stages Estonia or Poland became Latvia’s closest ally, then in the long term Latvia’s closest relation formed with its southern neighbour Lithuania. This article does not claim to be the comprehensive study of Latvian-Lithuanian relations in the 1920s; it focuses on certain important aspects and some less known details of these relations, which reflect their universality, versatility and some inconsistency. The main obstacle in relations between two countries in 1920s was difficult Lithuanian foreign policy situation – especially its open conflict with Poland. In these conditions, Latvia made attempts to dispel Lithuania’s suspicion of its intentions, and as an expression of its special friendship on February 1921, it was one of the first to give de iure recognition to Lithuania, but the Lithuanian political circles remained cautious about the intentions of Latvia. Political complications in the relations between the two countries were balanced by social aspirations of public organizations and associations to converge and society efforts starting in 1921 with the search for rapprochement. As early as 1921, Latvian-Lithuanian and Lithuanian-Latvian unity societies were established in Riga and Kaunas, which organized language courses and excursions to the neighbouring countries in order to bring both nations closer. The annual Latvian and Lithuanian Rapprochement Congresses held since 1924 were of particular importance: it became with special manifestation of social aspirations of both states, which would be difficult to find in all Europe during the interwar period; they contributed not only to cultural ties between the two nations, but also allowed the idea of a political union of the two countries to be supported in the form of the Baltic Kingdom. However, these aspirations and attempts for rapprochement failed to influence Lithuania’s internal policy, and at the end of 1920s the activities of Lithuanian political emigrants in Latvia became a new stumbling block in the relations between the two countries, putting the Latvian government in front of a complicated political choice. After the Congress of Lithuanian’s Political Emigrants, held in Riga on November 1927, which revealed the political contradictions of the emigrants themselves, the Latvian government stepped up measures to limit the political activities of Lithuanian emigrants. This government’s position was criticized by the Latvian Social Democrats and provoked sharp condemnation of assessing it as the desire to convince the Latvian government to please Lithuania, but the government chose the priority of the Statehood, sacrificing the ideals of democracy and human rights in this name. This dualism is the main feature that characterized relations between Latvia and Lithuania in the 1920s: if social aspirations, organizations and communities, public efforts tried to bring the two countries closer together, the complication in Lithuania’s foreign and internal (domestic) policies hindered the creation of closer political union of Baltic States. In this particular model of interstate relations, one should also look for an explanation of the different views on the relations between Latvia and Lithuania in the interwar period: if from the point of view of traditional interstate relations at the government level, one can agree with the opinion of some Latvian historians that Estonia was the only ally of Latvia, then in terms of public aspirations, Latvia’s closest relations were nevertheless associated with Lithuania.
Those who were Born in Lithuania, Died in 1944–1945 and were Buried in the Territory of Polotsk
During the implementation of the strategic and tactical plans of the Polotsk offensive operation in 1944 in the territory of Polotsk about 2 thousand soldiers of the Red Army, including natives of Lithuania, died of wounds. In 1945, military units were stationed in Polotsk for subsequent dispatch to the front, including the 3rd reserve rifle brigade. About 30 people from it are buried in a mass grave in the territory of a civil cemetery “Gromy”. During verification of the inscriptions on gravestones, the place of service, the date and place of death, the reasons, and also personal data – the date and place of birth were defined. During the research, the difficulty was caused by the choice of the correct spelling of personal data in order to correct the errors and write new names. The work is based on the archival data of the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, as well as on the history of military burial (the process of enlargement of graves), as well as the material of the Zonal State Archive in Polotsk is used.