It's been a while since I proclaimed to start blogging. To turn it into a habit is my resolution for New Year 2015!
Today a quick look at some differences between two Baltic languages- Lithuanian and Latvian. Some ten years ago I moved to Lithuania and started learning the language. My native language is Russian, but as I come from Latvia I also speak Latvian. Latvian and Lithuanian languages are both part of the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages (the other better-known language in the same branch is the now extinct Old Prussian). Despite what many people have suggested to me, unknowingly, Latvian and Lithuanian are quite different and are not mutually intelligible. In fact, for me it turned to be rather confusing, as a number of same-sounding words often have different meanings. But then again, digging deeper in the etymology of such words, it turns out there is a lot in common and often the archaic / primary meaning of certain word correspond to the modern-times meaning of the same word in the other language. In my etymological explorations I was supported by Latviešu etimoloģijas vārdnīca by K. Karulis. So, lets cut to the chase - here come several examples:
Today a quick look at some differences between two Baltic languages- Lithuanian and Latvian. Some ten years ago I moved to Lithuania and started learning the language. My native language is Russian, but as I come from Latvia I also speak Latvian. Latvian and Lithuanian languages are both part of the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages (the other better-known language in the same branch is the now extinct Old Prussian). Despite what many people have suggested to me, unknowingly, Latvian and Lithuanian are quite different and are not mutually intelligible. In fact, for me it turned to be rather confusing, as a number of same-sounding words often have different meanings. But then again, digging deeper in the etymology of such words, it turns out there is a lot in common and often the archaic / primary meaning of certain word correspond to the modern-times meaning of the same word in the other language. In my etymological explorations I was supported by Latviešu etimoloģijas vārdnīca by K. Karulis. So, lets cut to the chase - here come several examples:
Jėga (LT) - force, strength vs. Jēga (LV) - sense
Similar words in ancient Greek hebe (strength of youth) and Proto Indo-European (original language similar to Sanskrit, Latin and ancient Greek) jega (youthfulness). In Latvian the term evolved into various words meaning "to understand, to grasp, to imagine" (sajēga, jēgt, sajēdziens) and the earlier meaning of "strength" remained only in dialects and folklore. For Lithuanians apparently force and strength is the same as an ability to make sense of the world?
Bauda (LT) - fine, penalty vs. Bauda (LV) - pleasure
Word origins in "awaken, rouse" (hence Russian "будить") , also " to beat, to punch" - actually, to awaken by beating. So it seems Lithuanian stayed with the meaning of verb "(nu)bausti" to punish-->nouns bausmė (punishment) and bauda (penalty); Latvian - with the meaning "to taste, to experience, make be" , although Latvian word bauslis (commandment as in The Bible, bauslība - law) originates from the meaning "to urge, to spur, to push".
There are many more of such confusingly similar words, but let us finish with the notorious mix-up. Lithuanian briedis is Latvian alnis (RU - лось, ENG - moose deer, elk), and Lithuanian elnias is Latvian briedis (RU - олень, ENG - deer). In fact, in earlier times Latvian also used the word alnis to mean deer, similarly to other languages (e.g. similarly sounding Russian олень, Belarussian алень, Czech jelen, Greek ellos). However, since 19th century alnis lost its original meaning in Latvian and turned into briedis. So much for the particular ways of individual languages.
Similar words in ancient Greek hebe (strength of youth) and Proto Indo-European (original language similar to Sanskrit, Latin and ancient Greek) jega (youthfulness). In Latvian the term evolved into various words meaning "to understand, to grasp, to imagine" (sajēga, jēgt, sajēdziens) and the earlier meaning of "strength" remained only in dialects and folklore. For Lithuanians apparently force and strength is the same as an ability to make sense of the world?
Bauda (LT) - fine, penalty vs. Bauda (LV) - pleasure
Word origins in "awaken, rouse" (hence Russian "будить") , also " to beat, to punch" - actually, to awaken by beating. So it seems Lithuanian stayed with the meaning of verb "(nu)bausti" to punish-->nouns bausmė (punishment) and bauda (penalty); Latvian - with the meaning "to taste, to experience, make be" , although Latvian word bauslis (commandment as in The Bible, bauslība - law) originates from the meaning "to urge, to spur, to push".
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