The Idea of SamogitianLanguage (žemaičių kalba) in the 19th Century

Giedrius Subačius (University of Illinois at Chicago)

Università di Pisa, Nov. 26, 2009

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Written varieties: 18–19th c.

Eastern Highland Eastern Highland dialectdialect.. Vilnius Vilnius

Central Highland Central Highland dialectdialect.. Kėdainiai Kėdainiai

Western Highland Western Highland dialectdialect.. Königsberg Königsberg

Western Lithuania. Western Lithuania. Lowland dialectsLowland dialects

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Since mid-18th c.

1800–1831

1832–1863

1864–1885...

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1800–1831: Dionizas POŠKA

Simonas STANEVIČIUS

Arnulfas GIEDRAITIS

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Poškas’s Dictionary

Poškas’s Dictionary

Kajetonas Nezabitauskis

(and Dionizas Poška)

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• Kaj. Nezabitauskis digraf. ij or ji (like Poška) (South Lowland.):

• Kjily ~ kielė

• kurji ~ kurie

• netolji ~ netolie

Simonas Stanevičius

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• dina ~ dieną

• kik ~ kiek

• lipy ~ liepė

• winas ~ vienas

• witas ~ vietas

Bishop Arnulfas Giedraitis

Highland New Testam.• Lowland features present:

• gerans ~ geriąs

• imans ~ imąs

• iszduodans ~ išduodąs

• miegans ~ miegąs

• sakans ~ sakąs

• dransiasnia ~ drąsesnia

• dransumą ~ drąsumą

1832–1863: Jurgis PABRĖŽA

Simonas DAUKANTAS

Motiejus VALANČIUS

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Pabrėža’s Sermon

Grammar of Kasakauskis

Grammar of Gross

Simonas Daukantas

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Daukantas’s Grammar

Daukantas’s Grammar

Daukantas’s Primer

Daukantas’s Cultural History

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Bishop Motiejus Valančius

1864–1885 (standard)

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Written varieties after 1864

Central Highland Central Highland dialectdialect.. Kėdainiai Kėdainiai

Western Lithuania. Western Lithuania. Lowland dialectsLowland dialects

Western Highland Western Highland dialectdialect.. Königsberg Königsberg

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Cyrillic letters

• Standard Lithuanian:• Diedas šoka

• Standard English:• An old man dances

• Cyrillic Lithuanian:• Дедасъ шока

• ‘Cyrillic English’:• Анъ олдъ манъ

данцесъ

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Cyrillic for Lithuanian 1865–1904

Standard Lithuanian:Standard Lithuanian:Diedas šokaDiedas šoka

Cyrillic Lithuanian:Cyrillic Lithuanian:Дедасъ шокаДедасъ шока

Standard Lithuanian Standard Lithuanian ::Diedas šokaDiedas šoka

STANDARDSTANDARDLITHUANIANLITHUANIAN

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Paradoxes

• Paradox 1. The “Polish” letters were prohibited for Lithuanians but not for the Poles.

• Paradox 2. The standard Lithuanian in Latin alphabet was formed in the period of drastic persecution of it. This probably demonstrates the scale and impact of illegal press the best.

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Latin and Cyrillic alphabets

• Green –Green –LithuaniaLithuania

• Purple – Purple – Cyrillic Cyrillic alphabetalphabet

• Yellow – Latin Yellow – Latin and other and other alphabetsalphabets

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Ca. 60 Lithuanian books in Cyrillic

• Short Catechism, Vilnius, 1865.

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• Lev Tolstoj, In the Captivity of Caucasus, Vilnius, 1891.

• Holly history, Warsaw, 1896.

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Example of Ideology: Substitution of Religion• Russian authorities also preferred to promote Russian

Orthodoxy along with the Cyrillic letters.

In 1874 A. Lovtis rewrote it In 1874 A. Lovtis rewrote it in Latin letters again and in Latin letters again and substituted to the Catholic substituted to the Catholic one.one.

• In Lith. Catechism of 1865 Catholic crossing was substituted by the Orthodox one.

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Alphabets

Yellow is Karaliaučius (Königsberg) region in East Prussia; there was Lith. literature printed and smuggled over the border.

Red is the territory where the Cyrillic script prevailed.

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Statistics of Lith. publications1865-1904 (periodicals not

included) • 3,953 Latin or Gothic script based Lith.

publications (2,687 in East Prussia; 712 in the US.)

• 60 Lith. publications in Cyrillic.

• Thus, in 40 years there were published approximately 66 times more of Lith. publications in Latin or Gothic script than in Cyrillic.

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Grammar

• Jonas Jablonskis published a Grammar of Lithuanian in 1901. It became a symbolical codifying book for Lithuanian.

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Dictionary

• For 100 years Lithuanians prepared and published the biggest dictionary they ever had – a comprehensive dictionary of Lithuanian in 20 volumes. It was finished in 2002 in the Research Institute of Lithuanian in Vilnius. Since 2005 it is available online at www.lkz.lt

www.lkz.ltwww.lkz.lt

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Daliutė Ona Matulaitė

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J. Zikaras 1881–1944

• Sculpture is located in Kaunas, the second largest city of Lithuania.

“Book-carrier”, a sculpture byJ. Zikaras, 1928

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EnvelopesLithuanian envelopes

of 1996 to honor Jurgis Bielinis, the most famous book-carrier. J.Zikaras sculpture is depicted.

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Computer game with the book-carriers, 2004

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“The Book-Carrier Grove”

In 1990 the “Book-Carrier Grove” was planted in South-West Lithuania. There are 144 oaks at present, 115 of them carry a name of a book-carrier.

““TThe Book-Carrier Grove” he Book-Carrier Grove” iin 1990.n 1990.

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“The Book-Carrier Wall”

• “Book-Carrier Wall” was erected in 1940. Destroyed in 1950 by Soviets. Then in 1997 it was rebuilt again.

• 100 most important Lithuanian book-carrier names are listed there in three huge honorable tables.

““The Book-Carrier Wall” with a group of bibliophiles.The Book-Carrier Wall” with a group of bibliophiles.

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“The Book-Carrier Wall” in 1943

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Museum of book-carriers

Ustronė, near Krekenava, Panevėžys county

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Association of a Lithuanian book-carrier• Association of a Lithuanian book-carrier

is an organisation, established in 1983 and registered in 1989. President Irena Kubilienė.

http://tigger.uic.edu/~subacius

Lecture:

The idea of a Samogitian language

(žemaičių kalba) in the 19th Century,

Nov. 26, 2009

subacius@uic.edu