#Belaruthian langbr

[unhonestlymirror]

Wait, wait, wait...

So you know, the Lithuanian and Belaruthian coat of arms?

In Lithuanian, it is called "Vytis," which means "The Chaser/The Pursuer." In Belaruthian, it is called Pahonia/Pagonia, which means "chasing/pursuing/hunting". Equal to Ukrainian word "погоня".

Pagonis in Lithuanian means "a pagan".

#heraldry #Lithuania #Belarus #linguistics #Lithuanian langbr #Belaruthian langbr #belarusian langblr

[unhonestlymirror]

An interesting piece from The Lithuanian and Samogitian Chronicles (the end of 16th century):

«Год 1258 …Потом далей тягнул Радивил и найшол над Немном старое городище, замок от Батия збуреный, збудовал замок другий и назвал его Городком, a оттоля тягнул на Подляше, где в той час ятвяги мешкали, найшол там Бересте, Хмелник, Дорогичин, Сурож, Белско, Бранско, места и замки побуроные от Батия…».

A person who doesn't know Ukrainian and Belaruthian would most likely say this text is written in russian. It's not true! :D It's Ruthenian (Ukrainian) with very heavy Church Slavonic plaque. The original text is written in Old Ukrainian, maybe Volyn dialect. If translating this text to modern Ukrainian, it would look like this:

"Рік 1258... Потім далі тягнув Радівіл і знайшов над Ньоманом старе городище, замок від Батия збурений, збудував замок другий і назвав його Городком, а оттоді тягнув на Підляшшя, де в той час ятвягі мешкали, знайшов там Берестя (Брест), Хмельник, Дорогичин, Сурож, Бельсько, Брансько, міста й замки, побурені від Батия.."

Obviously Ukrainian words in the original: тягнул, найшол, городище, збурений, збудовал, другий, в той час, мешкали, Хмелник, Дорогичин, места, побурені.

In Ukrainian, we say оттоді/відтоді (ottodi/vidtodi), not оттоля (ottolia)... However, soft [L] and -ļa- sounds are very characteristic of classic Belaruthian and Lithuanian. You can say that's their thing. A lot of foreigners have big troubles with this exact -ļa-; -lie- sounds, and a lot of foreigners, for some reason, confuse these with russian language. Lithuanian and russian languages are pretty soft in comparison to, e.g., Latvian and Ukrainian, but the difference in softness between Lithuanian and russian is significant. russians don't use soft [L] sound that much. Although my Lithuanian pronunciation is pretty good, I myself often forget to pronounce soft [L] where it's needed.😅

Збурений (zburenyi, poburenyi) is a Ukrainian archaism, which through time ended up being одібраний. I think it was like: збурений -> забраний -> озабраний/озібраний -> одібраний, but I am not sure. The infinitive verb from which this participle was created is "забраний". I can't find this on the internet, but in old Ukrainian literature, you can sometimes meet this word. This word exists in the Slovak language, btw: "poburovan".

Not-surprisingly, russians, from time to time, claim The Lithuanian&Ruthenian&Samogitian Chronicles to be russian, although the text is not in russian at all. They probably hope for linguists not being educated enough and saying, "Well, it is written in Cyrillic, it must be russian."

P.S. In English:

"The year is 1258... Then Radivil moved further and found an old settlement above Nioman - the castle taken from Batyi - he built a second castle and called it Ghorodok (City), and from then on he moved to Podliasśie (Pidliaššia), where at that time the Yotvingians lived, he found Berestia (Brest) there, Khmelnyk, Dorogychyn, Surož, Bielsko, Bransko, cities and castles taken from Batyi.."

#just some thoughts #linguistics #languages #Ukrainian language #Belaruthian language #Belarusian language #Lithuanian language #langbr #укртумбочка #укртамблер

[unhonestlymirror]

Surnames with signs of Lithuanian linguistic influence were the result of long-standing and close contacts and the coexistence of Belaruthians and Baltics in the same territory. Despite the intense slavic assimilation, even today, Belarus still has ethnic Lithuanian enclaves that are not completely slavicized, and there used to be much more of them.

Belaruthian surnames of Lithuanian origin include, for example, such completely familiar surnames as Doŭnar, Korbut, Budrevič, Rahojša and others.

In contrast to surnames of Belaruthian origin, the meanings of the words from which surnames of Lithuanian origin were formed did not always correlate with the person and his characteristics. There are no logical contradictions here because Lithuanians have other principles of forming surnames, according to which any subject, object, or phenomenon can become the basis for a surname.

Bakšt, Bakšta and the like are related to the outdated Belaruthian word bakšta, borrowed from the Lithuanian language ("bokštas" — "tower"). Surnames with this base are common throughout Belarus, but there are even more of them in Eastern Belarus than in the Vilnius region. Bearers of the Bakšta surname lived compactly near Berazin, Bakštaj - near Bešankoviči, and Bakštajev - near Talačyn and Kruhły.

Baład originates from the nickname of a person based on the action of the Lithuanian verb "baladotis" - "to spend time idly; to wander around". The Bałads lived to the north of the village of Akciabrski, Homiel region.

Bičun can be reduced to the Lithuanian word bičiulis - "buddy, bestie, bee-friend". Almost all the bearers of this surname lived compactly to the north of the Vilnius Reservoir.

It would seem that the typically Belaruthian surname Budrevič actually comes from a nickname that is related to the Lithuanian word "budrus" - "vigilant, very attentive". This surname is most often found in the Hrodźienščyna region.

Vanahieļ is an adapted Lithuanian surname Vanagėlis from the Lithuanian word "vanagas" - "hawk." The bearers of the surname mainly lived in the territory between Niaśviž, Stoŭbcy, Uzda, and Kapyļ, although it is also found in other regions.

The surname Virbuļ most likely comes from the Lithuanian word "virb" - "bird grouse." This surname is found in deep forests of the Ušat district, closer to Dźvina.

Hinč comes from the Lithuanian "ginčas" - "dispute, contradictions." It is found only in the Śvislać district, on the western outskirts of Belarus.

The surname Druć comes from the Lithuanian word "drūtas" — "a person of strong physique, healthy." It is found between Hrodna and Sapockin, in the vicinity of Kareličy, isolated ones - near Śvisłač, Berastavica, Navahrudak, and, expectedly, along the Druć River in the Tałačynski district. The name of the river comes from the same Lithuanian root.

Žamžycki has the nickname Žemže from the Lithuanian verb "žemžėti" — "to grow a beard, hair" or "to have a sallow complexion."

Zvirbļa comes from the Lithuanian word "žvirblis" - "sparrow." [Jack Sparrow in Lithuanian would be Jonas Žvirblis or Jan Zvirblia in Belaruthian, lmaoooo - translator's note] Most often, this surname can be found near Ražanka, Ščučynski district, as well as near Vałožyn.

The surname Žedź comes from the Lithuanian word "žiedas" — "ring, flower, thimble." It is quite rare and is found only in the Pružanski and Kamianiec districts, on both sides of the Biełaviežskaja Pušča.

Jodčyk (Ijodčyk) has the Lithuanian base "juodas" - "black." This surname was used by people in the Brasłaŭščyna region.

Kaŭļuk is a descendant of a person nicknamed Kauł from the Lithuanian word kaulys - "intrusive person." 

Kiškeļ is a Lithuanian surname Kiškis adapted on slavic soil from the Lithuanian word "kiškis" - "hare." It is found in the greater part of the Vilenščyna/Vilnius region - in the Astraviecki, Ašmianski, Smarhonski and Lidski districts, but most often in the forests between Juratiški and Iŭjeŭ.

The name Labus is based on the Lithuanian word "labas," which literally means "good afternoon," and possibly means "kind, sympathetic" in human terms. The bearers of the surname are widely scattered across Belarus: near Jeziaryšča, which is on the very border with russia, near Ļozna, in Smaļavičy, in the historical Igumen region - from Mensk to Marjina Horka, as well as near Kapyļ.

The surname Łajba originates from the Lithuanian word "laibas" - "thin, slender."

The surnames Mažajev and Mažejka are based on the surname Mažai, which is related to the Lithuanian word "mažas" — "small".

If the surname Mažajeŭ can be found only in Połaččyna region and Homieļščyna region, then the surname Mažejka is found everywhere in Belarus.

Nartyš originates from the Lithuanian adjective "nartus" - "stubborn, headstrong." It is found only west of Viciebsk.

The basis of the Pivień surname is related to the Lithuanian word "pievinis" - "meadow" (compare with the Belaruthian surname Padłužny). It can be found in Lidčyna and Hłyboččyna. But the exact same surname, common in Western Paleśsia/Polissia, is apparently also formed from the Ukrainian form of the word "rooster."

Puntus comes from the verb stems "pusti , puna," which means "to swell, to inflate," referring to a person - "chubby." Most often, the bearers of this surname lived in the Homel region, especially in the Kalinkavicki and Śvietłahorski districts, and also in the Łahoj district.

Rahojša is related to the Lithuanian word "ragaišis" — "wheat or barley bread; unleavened bread, pancake."

Rahojšas can be found north of Lida, but most often - west of Mensk, in the Vałožynski and Dźiaržynski districts. The Belaruthian philologist Viačasłaŭ Rahoiša, for example, comes from the town of Rakaŭ, Vałožyn district.

Sadzibaŭ comes from the Lithuanian word "sodyba" - "farm complex, homestead."

Śviejka comes from the Lithuanian word "sveikas" - "healthy, full of health." It is mostly found in the Śvisłaćkij district, on the western edge of Belarus.

Surnames Suman, Sumanaŭ are related to the Lithuanian word "sumanus," meaning "clever, intelligent." Bearers of the surname Suman lived in the territory of the Krupskij district, near Novałukomļ, and bearers of the surname Sumanaŭ - above Orša and Čavusy.

The Lithuanian word "ciabuvis", meaning "native", served as the basis for the surname Ciabus. Most often, this surname can be found in Słuččyna, between Salihorsk, Ļubaņ and Urečča.

Šałpakoŭ is related in meaning to the verb "šelpti" - "to help with money, to provide material assistance" and the word "šalpa" - "cash assistance".

The basis of the surname Špartaŭ (Špartoŭ) goes back to the Lithuanian verb "spartėti" - "to perform any action at a very fast pace". The bearers of this surname lived compactly to the west of Čavusy, and individual representatives lived in Karma.

Some Belaruthian surnames were formed from Lithuanianisms through the mediation of Belaruthian dialects:

The surname Bublis is based on the nickname Bubła "fat man" (compare the Belaruthian dialect words bubły, "kruhliaški" bagels, bubliki). Belarusian dialectologists connect the origin of these words with the Lithuanian word bubùlis "round object". The bearers of the surname mainly lived in the territory of the Łahoi district, but it is also found in the Viļejski and Astraviecki districts.

Hizieleŭ is formed from the nickname Hiźeļ after the Belaruthian dialect adjective "hiźlivy" - "alive, energetic, fast walking", which goes back to the Lithuanian word "gizas" - "fidget".

Kiez is a nickname based on the meaning of the Belaruthian dialect verb kieznucca, which goes back to the Lithuanian "keizotis, keiziotis" - "to be capricious, to worry". Variants of the surname are common in Paleśsia.

The basis of the surname Kipcevič is the nickname Kipieć. In the "Dictionary of Belaruthian dialects of north-western Belarus and its borders," kipieć means "claw, nail" and there is a reference to the Lithuanian word "kibčius" - "rascal". The Kipcevičs lived compactly in the vicinity of Łuninc.

In some Belaruthian surnames, you can see a connection with Lithuanian personal names.

The surname Doŭnar, for example, is a modified Lithuanian surname Daunaris, which comes from the ancient name Daugnoris, the meaning of which is, however, unknown.

[Lithuanian sources define "daugnoris" as either "ambitious" or "polytheist." - translator's note.]

Doŭnar is an extremely common surname, which is most often found in the central part of the Mensk region and the surrounding areas.

Korbut is a modified Lithuanian surname Korbutas, which goes back to the ancient Lithuanian compound name Karybutas.

The name Karybutas, in turn, consists of the Lithuanian words "karas" - "battle, war" and "butas" - "house", which generally means "defender of one's house." The surname Korbut is widespread throughout Belarus.

There are cases when the Belaruthian surname is formed from a settlement, which in turn has a name of Baltic origin.

Damanski is a native, founder or owner of one of the villages named Damany, Damanava, Damanova, Damanavičy. The names go back to the personal name Daman, which is a shortened version of the name Daŭmont. Translated from Lithuanian, Daŭmont means "very smart".

Krašucki is a native of the village of Krašuty, Rasonski district, whose name may have been derived from the Lithuanian word "kraštas" - "shore (river, lake)". The Krašucki surname itself is recorded exclusively in the vicinity of Połack (Polatsk).

Biaržanin is a native of the village of Beržaniški in the Brasłaŭski district, the name of which comes from the Lithuanian word "beržas" - "birch".

In general, if scientists are to be believed, approximately 9.2% of Belaruthian surnames have Lithuanian roots. [Which is a lot - translator's note]. Some of these surnames unequivocally indicate the ethnic origin of their bearers, while others are simply formed through Lithuanian vocabulary borrowed by Belaruthians.

#linguistics #history #Lithuania #Belarus #Lithuanian language #Belaruthian language #Belarusian language #langbr #surnames