Acta Linguistica Lithuanica

Editorial Board and Table of Contents

2026-06-30T09:04:35+03:00

Concepts of “Time” and “Space” as a Representation of Human Existence in Kazakh Philosophy and Language

2026-06-30T09:04:35+03:00

The present article aims to examine the concepts of “time” and “space” as representations of human existence in Kazakh thought and language. The study employs an associative experiment as the primary empirical method, complemented by statistical and linguistic analyses based on conceptual analysis techniques. A survey was conducted with 200 Kazakh-speaking participants aged 20 to 70. Key conceptual categories, such as “time as emotion”, “time as a value”, “space as homeland”, and “space as freedom”, were identified through coding and interpreted in light of Kazakh philosophical traditions. Significant differences were observed between age groups: younger participants favoured emotional and abstract associations, whereas older respondents relied on metaphorical and concrete representations. These disparities suggest a generational shift in the cognitive and emotional framing of philosophical categories, likely shaped by sociohistorical experience, linguistic socialisation, and the influence of technological and cultural changes. The study demonstrates that “time” and “space” in Kazakh culture are not neutral constructs but deeply symbolic, ethically charged, and emotionally resonant categories. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how culture-specific worldviews are encoded in language, offering practical implications for education, intercultural communication, and cultural policy.

East Baltic “father-in-law” and “mother-in-law”

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The present contribution studies the Baltic kinship terminology, focusing on terms related to “parents-in-law”. Among them, one term is not transparent from the point of view of internal structure, nor etymology: Lithuanian m. úošvis ‘father-in-law, husband’s father’, f. úošvė ‘mother-in-law, husband’s mother’ and Latvian m. uôsis, f. uôse id. A new etymology operates with an East Baltic innovation, which assumes the primary determinative compound extended by the suffix *-ii̯o-/*-ii̯ā-. The first component would be represented by the IE kinship term *h₂eu̯h₂o- ‘maternal grandfather’, continuing in Baltic in its derivative ‘maternal uncle’. For the second component, there would be two alternative possibilities: 1) Proto-Baltic *su̯eśru- *‘mother-in-law’ + -ā; 2) Proto-Baltic *śei̯u̯ā ‘wife’.

Perceptions of the Native Language Variant among South Samogitians: Naming and Evaluation

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This article focuses on the nominations and perceptions of one’s own linguistic variant within the Southern Samogitian subdialect of Varniai, which are analysed using geolinguistic and perceptual dialectological methodologies. Recognition of one’s own linguistic variant is based on the study of dialect competence and dialect image displayed by regular members of the speech community. Dialect competence encompasses all stereotypical characteristics of the language variant and its user formed within one’s subconscious, while dialect images result from stereotypical similarities and/or differences between linguistic features.

According to the subjects analysed, the process of replacing the Standard Lithuanian pronunciation of uo or o for ū (dūnininkavimas), which is the main and distinctive characteristic of the Southern Samogitian subdialect of Varniai, is reflected only in the language of the very oldest members of this speech community. Younger generations and individuals who have arrived here from other parts of the country are perceived as using a variant mixed with either Standard Lithuanian (or the Aukštaitian dialect identified with it) or with other Samogitian subdialects. Reduced endings are seen as the most typical feature which helps to identify one’s own linguistic variant.

Geographical (spatial) distance is one of the main factors affecting the nomination of one’s own linguistic variant. Speakers of the Varniai subdialect typically assign to their variant the name of their residential area or the administrative (municipality) centre they are migrating to.

The study also shows that older and oldest generation speakers of the Varniai subdialect believe that young people do not use the dialect, while the image of their own variant prevalent amongst the younger generation is closer to Standard Lithuanian. Both of these findings suggest a convergence of dialectal and standard language within the Varniai subdialect, with characterisations and nominations pointing towards the linguistic heterogeneity of this dialectal area.

Onomastic Terminology: between Systemic Rigour and Unrestrained Proliferation

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This article examines contemporary onomastic terminology, focusing on the coexistence of systematic coherence and increasing terminological proliferation. It analyses the linguistic strategies underlying the formation of traditional and emerging (meta)onomastic terms, distinguishing between monorhematic neologisms and descriptive syntagmatic formations. Particular attention is paid to the circulation of terms across onomastics, other linguistic subdisciplines and applied domains through the mechanism of interdisciplinary transfer. Drawing on selected examples from recent terminological practice, including proposals documented in contemporary onomastic dictionaries and scholarly publications, the study critically examines the proliferation of neological terms, many of which are characterised by formal inconsistency, weak pragmatic motivation and limited communicative transparency. It is argued that excessive and insufficiently justified neologisation, including the fragmentation of terminology applied to highly individualised categories of named objects, may result in conceptual ambiguity, terminological inflation and reduced methodological reliability. By contrast, descriptive and structurally transparent terms are shown to provide greater clarity, interpretability and functional adequacy. The article therefore seeks to delineate the boundaries of terminological creativity in onomastics, emphasising the importance of conceptual discipline, cross-linguistic consistency and alignment with internationally recognised standards of scientific terminology.

Baltic Layer in the Hydronymy of the Dnieper River Region

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The research aims to identify the Baltic language heritage in the hydronymy of the Dnieper region. In particular, it dwells on the reconstruction of the Baltic lexical stratum, the existence of which is not at odds with the historical and archaeological data for the areas under analysis. The research has resulted in the reconstruction of 50 lexemes that are believed to be part of the vocabulary of the Old Balts. Such a conclusion is substantiated by the etymology of the reviewed water names, explained by the vocabulary of the East and West Baltic languages. Lexical reconstruction is possible due to compliance with some conditions of the etymological procedure: 1) highlighting the stages of Baltic hydronymy Slavization with the description of the phonetic and morphological processes, which accompanied the adaptation; 2) separating Slavonic derivational extension as a mean of adaptation of Baltic words in a foreign language environment; 3) determination of the relationship between the reconstructed “Dnieper” Baltisms and the archaic vocabulary of the East and West Baltic languages. Compliance with these conditions resulted in (a) the singling out of several types of parallels linking Old Baltic hydronyms in the Dnieper area with the toponymy of the different Baltic Languages; (b) the assumption of possible Proto-Lithuanian affiliation of the most numerous group of Baltic lexical relics.

Linguistic Basis of the Kazakh-English Toponymics and Eastern Themes and Ethnocultural Traits in the Works of Nuraly Nisanbayuly

2026-06-30T09:04:36+03:00

Nuraly Nisanbayuly (1858–1931) was a prominent Kazakh aqyn whose works reflect the transitional cultural and literary processes of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His dastans represent a valuable source for investigating the ethnocultural foundations of the Kazakh worldview and the linguistic features of Turkic literary traditions. This study aims to examine N. Nisanbayuly’s works from ethnocultural and linguistic perspectives and to identify the relationship between cultural meaning and language representation in his texts. The research is based on the dastans “Qaraqül”, “Khanym Syry”, “Zhetim Qubyl”, and “Sauda Ishan”. The methodology combines ethnocultural interpretation, comparative analysis, and morphological analysis of linguistic units. The first part of the study investigates the ethnocultural content of the selected dastans, focusing on traditional cultural codes and value systems, and their connections to the Eastern literary tradition. The analysis demonstrates that N. Nisanbayuly’s works integrate elements of the Turkic epic heritage with distinctive Kazakh ethnocultural meanings, thereby shaping an individual poetic style. The second part examines the morphological structure of toponyms found in the author’s texts through a comparative analysis of Kazakh and English toponymic systems. The results reveal several structural correspondences in the formation of toponyms despite the typological and genetic differences between the two languages. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between language and culture in Turkic literature and provide a basis for improving the translation and interpretation of Kazakh toponyms in English-language contexts.

On South Estonian placenames in Ludza (Lutsi) region in Eastern Latvia (Latgalia)

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The article investigates Estonian toponyms in the Ludza area of Latvia’s Latgale region. Lutsi Estonians were a group of Estonians who moved to this area in the 17^th and 18^th centuries and were ultimately assimilated into the local population in the 20^th century. The sources of the material studied include: toponyms presented in earlier research (5), the Estonian Language Institute (EKI) toponym card index (53), the book Eesti murded IX, which contains samples of Lutsi Estonian language (1), and the database of the Latvian Geospatial Information Agency (LĢIA) (1). The investigated toponyms are compared primarily to those from the South Estonian dialect area and toponyms in other Finnic territories. The Estonian etymology of three toponyms presented in earlier research is rejected. Two toponyms can be considered Estonian because no alternative etymologies were found. The EKI card index contains 98 cards. Some of these are transparent Finnic toponyms that require no further explanation. A total of 53 toponyms were selected, formed from specific Lutsi Estonian appellatives or South Estonian words, while the others are adapted Latvian or Slavic toponyms. Toponyms found in Eesti murded IX and the LĢIA database can be explained as specific South Estonian toponyms. The vast majority of the investigated toponyms no longer exist, as the Lutsi Estonians were multilingual and likely used different versions of these toponyms depending on the language spoken. Following the extinction of the Lutsi Estonian language, the Estonian versions of the toponyms also disappeared.

Rethinking Bezdónė, Dari̇̀nė, and Ìlma: Challenging Current Etymologies, Uncovering Cognitive Motivations

2026-06-30T09:04:36+03:00

The article traces the historical development of Lithuanian onomastic studies, highlighting the importance of balancing tradition and innovation in the field. In Lithuania, onomastic studies traditionally adhered to the approach emphasising the etymological and derivational analysis of proper names, which was later expanded with fundamental works on the structural-grammatical and semantic classification of hydronyms. Currently, a new wave of onomasticians seeks to depart from traditional methods, exploring toponyms within the framework of Cognitive Semantics. Taking one potamonym, oikonym, and limnonym currently officially functioning within the borders of Vilnius County, this paper, using a multidisciplinary approach integrating linguistic analysis, historical research, and cultural studies, aims to illustrate how blending traditional and innovative approaches clarifies established etymologies and explains the origins, motivations, and meanings behind toponyms.

Patterns of Morphological Integration of Slavic Loan Nouns in K. Sirvydas’s Promptuarium dictionum Polonicarum, Latinarum et Lituanicarum

2026-06-30T09:04:37+03:00

The article examines the morphological integration into the Lithuanian language of Slavic loan nouns in the dictionary Promptuarium dictionum Polonicarum, Latinarum et Lituanicarum (1620) by Konstantinas Sirvydas, as well as the relationship between the endings and gender of words in Slavic languages and the Lithuanian stems, into which Slavic loanwords were integrated. To achieve this goal, all Slavic-origin words were selected from the dictionary, hybrids were excluded, and the stems and meanings of the Slavic loanwords were identified. Equivalents of the loanwords were sought in dictionaries of Slavic languages of the relevant period, and by comparing Lithuanian and Slavic linguistic data, the patterns of the integration of Slavic loanwords into the Lithuanian morphological system in K. Sirvydas’ 1620 dictionary were established.

On the Meaning of the Lithuanian Preposition po: A Cognitive Perspective

2026-06-30T09:04:37+03:00

Studies of prepositional meaning are rather prolific in cognitive linguistics. However, the Lithuanian po ‘under’ still relies on intuitive explication rather than corpus-based evidence, reflecting the traditional line of investigation. Thus, the present paper focuses on: (1) identifying the primary sense of the preposition; (2) examining its extensions, or major use types, in physical and non-physical contexts, and (3) linking the established senses that differ in status in the form of a network. 1000 concordance lines with po from the fiction segment in the Corpus of Contemporary Lithuanian Language were examined. The Principled Polysemy Model (Tyler, Evans 2003) was used to distinguish between the senses and their contextual variants as well as for primary sense identification. Contextual clues played a significant role as well. The findings show that the primary sense, based on a proto-scene of the Figure beneath the Ground, gives rise to the other senses of the preposition. Some of them are concrete – differentiated by the types of F and G and their geometric and/or functional relationships, while the other extensions are abstract and motivated by metaphor. The paper also considers how the meaning of po interacts with the noun cases it governs.

Gone To Remain. In Memoriam Kirstin Casemir

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Guidlienes for Authors

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