„Žingeidus“ – To Be Or Not To Be

Abstract

The article discusses the adjective žingeidus and its derivatives in relation to the norms of standard Lithuanian. This word, which appeared in the 19th century, has been corrected for more than 120 years due to its origin, morphology, and semantics. It is considered a non-standard calque from German, Polish, or Russian that does not comply with Lithuanian word formation rules. Nevertheless, žingeidus is still in use and has a considerable number of cognates. Its non-standard nature is often disputed because the proposed replacement, smalsus, does not have the same meaning.

After evaluating the morphology, derivation, semantics, and synonymic relationships of the adjective žingeidus, reviewing the history of its codification and the reasons for its correction, and examining the current usage of not only the adjective itself but also its derivatives, it becomes clear that there are sufficient reasons to include it in the standard language. Then, žingeidus and its most commonly used derivatives žingeidžiai and žingeidumas should also appear in the Dictionary of the Standard Lithuanian Language. The dictionary entries for these words should reflect their semantic relationship with the adjective smalsus and its derivatives, as well as the differences in their meanings and usage.