LIETUVIŲ TERMINOLOGIJA

LIETUVOS TSR MOKSLŲ AKADEMIJA

E. GRINAVECKIENĖ

LITHUANIAN SPECIALIZED DOMESTIC VOCABULARY IN THE GERMAN DIALECT OF SMALININKAI–PAGĖGIAI

The contacts between the western Lithuanian dialects, spoken by a certain proportion of the inhabitants of the Klaipėda, Šilutė, and Jurbarkas districts, and the local German dialect used here have, one might say, remained unstudied to this day. The question of how the local Lithuanian dialects have influenced the German dialect has not been addressed at all.

The local people of this area are Lithuanians. Their native language is Lithuanian. However, having belonged legally, economically, and politically to Germany for a long time (from the 13th century until 1923), the territory became somewhat Germanized. The German language spread throughout the region. Thus, alongside Lithuanian, people here formerly spoke a German dialect characteristic of East Prussia (Plattdeutsch). Over time, thanks to schools and education, it withdrew from public life. In its place, a dialect closer to the German literary language, tinged with local character, came into use. Local Lithuanians spoke it alongside their native Lithuanian, and a certain proportion of them still sometimes speak it today. However, constantly influenced by local Lithuanian dialects, the latter has undergone a measure of Lithuanian influence. Moreover, having withdrawn from public life, it is rapidly disappearing, especially among younger speakers.

The Smalininkai–Pagėgiai area (Jurbarkas and Šilutė districts) is one of those linguistic regions where, after the Great Patriotic War, the relatively few local residents who remained, owing to the circumstances outlined above, speak German well alongside their native Lithuanian dialect² (they write mostly only in German³ and often still speak German even today, especially at home and among themselves).

Through contact between the dialects of the two languages in this area, a considerable number of elements characteristic of the other language’s system have arisen in each. The most pronounced influence is evident in the vocabulary.

From 1961 to 1973, while studying the Lithuanian dialects of this region and collecting dialectal material for the “Atlas of the Lithuanian Language,” we recorded several dozen Lithuanian-

¹ Žr. Mažoji lietuviškoji tarybinė enciklopedija, II, Vilnius, 1968, p. 154—156.

² Apie šio krašto šnektą plačiau žr. A. Salys, Lietuvių kalbos tarmės, Kaunas, 1935, p. 53—62; E. Grinaveckienė, Kai kurios lietuvių kalbos tarmių ypatybės, — Lietuvių kalbotyros klausimai (toliau LKK), V, Vilnius, 1961, p. 161—165; Lietuvių kalbos tarmės (chrestomatija), Vilnius, 1970, p. 174—178.

³ Local residents attended German schools.

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words⁴ related to the life of farmers. They are listed here in alphabetical order.

Bétenbartsch^⁵ hybrid, “soup made from red beets”: we cooked Bétenbartsch today; compare the Lithuanian borrowing from Slavic barščiai, and also East Prussian German dialect Bartsch “borscht” (A. Sabaliauskas, The Development of Lithuanian Lexicon, — LKK VIII, Vilnius, 1966, p. 96).

Bijónen “peonies” (Paeonia): the peonies are blooming; compare the Lithuanian borrowing from Slavic bijūnai, and also East Prussian German dialect Bijon “peony” (LKK VIII 96).

Blätterbartsch hybrid, “soup made from red beet leaves and stems”: I don’t like Blätterbartsch at all; compare Betenbartsch.

Bótten “women’s high rubber boots”: you can walk through mud in Bótten; compare the Lithuanian borrowing from Slavic bótai.

Brotkückel hybrid, “loaf of bread”: where did you put the Brotkückel; compare Kückel.

Géntis “relatives”: when Géntis come, then it’s a holiday; compare Lithuanian gentys.

Grícken “buckwheat”: buckwheat is grown on sandy soil; compare the Lithuanian borrowing from Slavic grikiai, East Prussian German dialect Grick, Grícken (LKK VIII 97).

Gríckenbrei hybrid, “buckwheat porridge”: we cooked Gríckenbrei; compare Grícken.

Júckas “soup of goose blood, dried apples, and potato dumplings”: we had cooked Júckas, but I don’t like Júckas, because everything is mixed up in it; compare Lithuanian jukà, dialectal jùkas (Jurbarkas). Judging by its form, Júckas was undoubtedly acquired through Lithuanian dialects. However, the root of the word itself, juk-, also probably is not a Slavicism in Lithuanian, since it has many unmistakable cognates there, such as jau-ti, jauk-ti “to mix,” jūk-ti “to become mixed,” sujūk-ti “to get mixed up,” and others. It is true that A. Brückner, Pr. Skardžius, and E. Frenkel derive it from Slavic jucha^⁶, but Fr. Sławski presents this latter opinion with some hesitation: “…from Polish: German Jauche ‘liquid manure, liquid from a crop’… perhaps (our emphasis) also Lithuanian jukà ‘black broth’⁷. Since the root is known in many Indo-European languages (including Sanskrit and Ancient Greek), Lithuanian jukà, like the other cognates presented above, is most likely a word belonging to the ancient Indo-European lexicon.

Kádick “juniper”: the Kádick is usually only a shrub, rarely a tree; compare Lithuanian dialectal kadigỹs, Latvian kadagỹs, East Prussian German dialect Kaddig, Kaddik (LKK VIII 97). The word under study preserves the length of the stressed a in its Lithuanian equivalent; compare kãdagi.

Kádicksbeeren hybrid, “juniper berries”: the Kádicksbeeren are blue in autumn; see Kádick.

^⁴ The author of the article sincerely thanks local residents of the area—the folk artist Lidija Meškaitytė and her parents, Ona and Jonas Meškaičiai, who live in the village of Antšvenčiai, in the Smalininkai district of Jurbarkas, for contributing some of the recorded vocabulary and checking all the material.

^⁵ Here and below, the acute accent marks the stress position of the Lithuanianisms presented.

^⁶ Žr. Die slavischen Fremdwörter im Litauischen von A. Brückner, Weimar, 1877, p. 88; Die slavischen Lehnwörter im Altlitauischen von Pranas Skardžius, Kaunas, 1931, p. 91; E. Fraenkel, Litauisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (toliau LEW), Göttingen, 1962, p. 199.

^⁷ Compare Fr. Sławski, Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego, I, Kraków, 1952—1956, p. 585—586.

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Kalóschen “galoshes”: he went out wearing galoshes; compare the Lithuanian loanword kaliōšai, which came via Polish (LEW 209).

Kántschuck “leather whip”: you want to use the whip; compare the Lithuanian loanword from Slavic kańčiukas. For the position of the stress, compare Baltistica, VIII(2), Vilnius, 1972, 203.

Kissel “oat kissel”: one makes kissel from oatmeal; compare dialectal Lithuanian kyšelis, Polish kišielius, and East Prussian German dialect Kissel (LKK VIII 97).

Kírmin ts “worm”: look, what a long, thick worm; compare dialectal Lithuanian kírminė (Jurbarkas), Polish kírminas.

Klēte “granary”: the Klēte is a storehouse; compare dialectal Lithuanian klētė, Polish klētis, and East Prussian German dialect Klete (LKK VIII 97).

Klíbbas “clumsy fellow”: this knife is an old clíbbas; compare Lithuanian klibapeilis, klíbis, klíbius: klibėti; East Prussian German dialect Klibbacksch “a badly sharpened knife” (LKK VIII 97).

Kódder “rag”: the rag is dirty; compare Lithuanian skūduras. For sk: k, compare Lithuanian (s)kerdžius, (s)káutis, (s)krėgždė, etc. The word was most likely also borrowed by East Prussian German dialects⁸, since it is not recorded in any other German dictionaries. Its derivative kodderig “inferior, poor,” from H. Frischbier’s dictionary, must have been included without justification in D. Šlapoberskis’s “German–Lithuanian Dictionary”⁹.

Kriwúlle “a stick containing a written message of a certain kind”: the Kriwúlle has been brought to us; compare Lithuanian krivūlė, krivūlė, and East Prussian German dialect Kriwūle (LKK VIII 98).

Krúschkis “pear”: there are many varieties of Krúschkis; compare the Lithuanian loanword from Slavic grišė, and the dialectal form griūškė “a poor, stunted pear” (Jurbarkas).

Kúckel “loaf”: I bought a loaf of bread; compare Lithuanian kūkulís.

Kúijel “boar”: our boar is still young; compare the Lithuanian loanword from Slavic kuilýs, and East Prussian German dialect Kuijel (LKK VIII 98).

Kújelfleisch hybrid “boar meat”: Kújelfleisch is not fit to eat; see Kúijel.

Kúpst “mound”: there are many mounds in the meadow; compare Lithuanian kūpstas, and East Prussian German dialect Kupst (LKK VIII 98).

Kúpstenbildung hybrid “dunes”; compare Lithuanian kūpstas.

Lánkas “meadows”: we will drive to the meadows to get hay; compare Lithuanian laṅkos, dialectal laṅkas (Jurbarkas).

Lórbas “sluggard”: what are you up to now again, you sluggard; compare Lithuanian liūrbis, and East Prussian German dialect Lórbas (LKK VIII 98).

Mágritsch “treat (given in return for a favor)”: wer wird uns Mágritsch geben, cf. the Lithuanian borrowing from Slavic magaryčios, dialectal magryčios, East Prussian German dialect Magritsch (LKK VIII 98).

Máldininker “a member of a prayer-meeting, a visitor to a house of prayer”: die Máldininker ziehen von Ort zu Ort, cf. Lithuanian dialectal maldininkas (Jurbarkas), East Prussian German dialect Maldininker (LKK VIII 98).

Merjéll “hired woman, maidservant”: das ist eine fleissige Merjéll, cf. Lithuanian dialectal mergelė (Pagėgiai), Polish mergėlė, East Prussian German dialect Mergell (LKK VIII 98).

⁸ See Preussisches Wörterbuch Ost- und Westpreussische Provinzialismen in alphabetischer Folge von H. Frischbier, Berlin, 1882, p. 399.

⁹ D. Šlapoberskis, Vokiečių-lietuvių kalbos žodynas (II le id.), Vilnius, 1972, p. 542.

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Meschkínnis “vodka with honey”: Meschkínnis ist ein guter Getränk, cf. Lithuanian meškinis.

Mútrus “a particular headscarf worn by married women”: die Frau hat sich einen Mütrus aufgebunden, cf. Lithuanian mūturas, East Prussian German dialect Múmuras (LKK VIII 98).

Nuogális “a naked person”: ach du Nuogális du könnte sich wenigstens etwas anziehen.

Pággel “stick”: der Pággel brennt nicht: er ist zu naß.

Páuten “male sexual organs,” cf. Lithuanian paũtai, East Prussian German dialect Pauten (LKK VIII 98).

Pelúd “chaff basket”: trage den Spreu in die Pelúd, cf. East Prussian German dialect Pelud (LKK VIII 99).

Pípack “cake”: wir werden ein guten Pípack ausbacken, cf. the Lithuanian borrowing from Slavic pyrágas, dialectal pýragas, East Prussian German dialect Pirack (LKK VIII 99).

Plíckkugelis “a baked grated-potato mash without fat”: wir hatten nur ein Plíckkugelis gebacken, cf. Lithuanian dialectal hybrid plikugelis (Jurbarkas).

Púkis “ruffe (Acerina cernua)”: Púkis ist ein stachliger Fisch, cf. Lithuanian pū̃kis, East Prussian German dialect Pukis (LKK VIII 99).

Ráinus “Rainius, a name for a tabby cat”: unser Ráinus hat ein Maus gefunden, cf. Lithuanian dialectal Raĩnus (Smalininkai) < Raĩnius.

Scháckel “branch, twig”: der Scháckel brennt gut, cf. Lithuanian šakalỹs.

Schlórre “wooden clog without a heel”; figuratively, “promiscuous woman”: die Schlórren sind zu groß; ach, du alte Schlórre, cf. Lithuanian šliùrė.

Up to now, linguists have unanimously maintained that Lithuanian šliùrė is supposedly a Germanism¹⁰. However, this view is merely stated in the cited sources, and has not been proved by anyone. The argument that the word is known in the German dialects of East Prussia seems insufficient to us to substantiate this view. Its absence from all other German dictionaries makes it possible to doubt this opinion. The word šliùrė is widely known in the cited meanings in Lithuania and also in Latvia (where it is also well known in other meanings¹¹); therefore, would it not be more reliable to suspect it of being Baltic and regard it as sharing a root with the semantically very similar šliùrti ‘to become soggy, slushy, limp’ (cf. pašliùręs ‘damp, soggy’ kėlias; a woman who has not slept enough and is therefore disheveled), šliùrinėti ‘to wander about’, and other derivatives.

Schúdwabbel ‘dung beetle (Geotrupes stercorarius)’: ein Schúdwabbel fliegt na und wie, cf. Lithuanian dialectal šídvabalis; see Wábbel.

Schúppinis ‘a traditional Shrove Tuesday dish’: Fastnacht feiert Katz und Maus, Schúppinis gibts in jeden Haus, cf. Lithuanian dialectal šùpinis (Smalininkai), East Prussian German dialect Schuppinne (LKK VIII 100).

Trusch ‘rabbit’: wir haben sieben Trüschen, cf. Lithuanian triušis, dialectal trùšis.

Trüschenfleisch hybrid ‘rabbit meat’: Trüschenfleisch soll gesund sein; see Trusch.

Wábbel ‘beetle’: da fliegt der kleine Wábbel, cf. Lithuanian dialectal vàbals (Pagėgiai), Latvian vábalas, East Prussian German dialect Wabbel (LKK VIII 100).

¹⁰ K. Alminauskis, Die Germanismen des Litauischen, Kaunas (year of publication not specified), 129; LEW 1007; LKK VIII 94.

¹¹ See K. Mühlenbachs Latvian Language Dictionary, edited, supplemented, and continued by J. Endzelīns, IV, Riga, 1929–1932, pp. 75–76.

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Warschkėtschai “a dish made from flour and curd, cut into large thick pieces”: Warschkėtschai aus Quark, Ei und Mehl kann man schnell zu bereiten, cf. Lithuanian dialectal varškėčiai (Smalininkai), Polish varškėčiai.

Wäschkodder hybrid “dishcloth”: in der Küche braucht man ein Wäschkodder, cf. Kodder.

Wėnter “fish trap”: wir haben zwei Wėntern, cf. East Prussian German dialectal Wenter (LKK VIII 100), Lithuanian vėnteris.

The Lithuanianisms presented from the local German dialect of the Smalininkai–Pagėgiai area are exclusively specialized terms connected with everyday human activity, and are all nouns. Most of them are identical in form to the corresponding Lithuanian forms used in the local Lithuanian dialect. For example, the words Merjėll, Nuogállis, Pággel, as in that Lithuanian dialect, retain the short old stressed a, e (cf. mergėlė, nuogális, pàgali, while the word Kirmints entered the dialect with the mobile a of the ending elided—that is, in the form in which it is pronounced in the local Lithuanian dialect (cf. literary Lithuanian kirmìnas); the word Lánkas likewise preserves the ending characteristic of the dialect (cf. literary Lithuanian lañkos). There are instances in which a loanword retains the characteristic stress pattern of the dialect from which the word entered the language, e.g. Máldinin-ker (cf. literary Lithuanian maldinìnikas). The pronunciation of consonants characteristic of the Lithuanian dialect is also usually retained in loanwords, e.g. Ráinus, Warschkėtschai (cf. literary Lithuanian Raiñius, varškėčiai).

No loanwords from other parts of speech could be recorded. Most interestingly, not a single verb—the most dynamic element of language—was recorded in the local German dialect, while that dialect borrows from Lithuanian only what it did not itself possess. All this undoubtedly shows that contact between the two language systems in this territory was not very intense.

Э. ГРИНАВЯЦКЕНЕ

LITHUANIAN SPECIALIZED DOMESTIC VOCABULARY IN THE GERMAN DIALECT OF THE SMALININKAI AND PAGĖGIAI AREA, LITHUANIAN SSR

Abstract

The area around Smalininkai and Pagėgiai (Jurbarkas and Šilutė districts of the Lithuanian SSR) is one of those regions where local inhabitants, having lived for a long time under German rule, continue to speak both their native Lithuanian dialect and German (German is spoken predominantly only within the family). As a result, the German dialect shows some influence from Lithuanian.

The article draws attention to lexical borrowings in the local German dialect and examines approximately 50 words of Lithuanian origin recorded by the author while collecting dialect material for the “Atlas of the Lithuanian Language” in 1961–1973.

All the recorded lexical Lithuanianisms are nouns: specialized terms connected with everyday human life. Almost all are close in form to their direct equivalents used in the local Lithuanian dialect, e.g. in the words Merjėll “listener,” Nuogállis “ragamuffin,” Pággel “knee,” Wäbbel “beetle,” and others, the stressed a and e have remained short. Kirmints “worm” and Lánkas “meadow” are used with phonetically reduced endings, as in the local Lithuanian dialect (cf. standard Lithuanian mergėlė, nuogális, pàgali, vãbalą, kìrmìnas, lañkos). There are instances when a borrowing retains the accentuation characteristic of the Lithuanian dialect.

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(e.g., Mâldininker “vegetable gardener”), the pronunciation of certain consonants characteristic of the Lithuanian dialect (e.g., Ráinus “piebald cat,” Warschkėtschai, cf. standard Lithuanian Rainius, varškėčiai), and others.

No borrowings belonging to other parts of speech were recorded in the area under study. It is also important that not a single Lithuanian verb—the most viable element of a language—was recorded there. As a rule, the local German dialect borrowed only words that were absent from it. All this indicates that contact between the two different language systems in this area was not intensive.