Liaupsės lietuvių kalbai

[Didmitra]

The New York Times 

LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE 

By Theodore S. Thurston



The Lithuanian language, whatever its antiquity, is of a wonderful 
structure, more perfect than either Sanskrit or Greek, more copious 
than Latin, and exquisitely refined than any of these three. Yet, 
Lithuanian bears to all of them a stronger affinity than could have 
been produced by nature, not only in the roots of verbs, but also in 
forms of grammatical structure and the morphological construction of 
words. So strong is this affinity that any philologist can see very 
clearly that Sanskrit, Greek and Latin must have sprung from a common 
source, Lithuanian. 

There is a similar reason for supposing that the Heruli, Rugians, 
Goths, Old Prussians, and Latvians, and their language, had the same 
origin, for they were ancient Lithuanian people. 

Scholars have recognized the Lithuanians as exponents of the primitive 
Aryan culture and civilization. Renowned philologists have agreed that 
the Lithuanian is not only the oldest language in the world today, but 
the language used by Aryans before the invention of evolution of 
Sanskrit. The antiquity of Lithuanian language and its grammatical 
structure place it in the same period with the oldest Sanskrit - 2000 
B.C. or earlier. 

Lithuanian is a Proto-Aryan, and to the renowned linguists, it was 
known to be unwritten language in Europe for many centuries. However, 
recent linguistic investigations have definitely proven that the 
Lithuanian language was written even before the Christian era, though 
how far before it is difficult to determine with any degree of 
accuracy. But from the linguistic evidence and ancient writings in 
India and Persia, it is possible to assume that Lithuanian language 
must have been written as far back as one thousand years ago before 
the birth of Christ. 

The richest cultural heritage of the Lithuanian people is their 
language, which represents one of highest achievements of all mankind. 
It surpasses all other European languages in its antiquity, the purity 
of its sounds, and its wonderful grammatical structure. It can be 
clearly seen, by a study of the highest developed grammar and the 
natural and beautiful sounds of their language, that the Lithuanians 
indeed possessed a creative genius in a very early era of our 
civilization. The vowel system of the Lithuanian language is the most 
ancient in its style. It antedates Sanskrit, Latvian, Greek and Latin 
in that order. 

According to linguistic palaeontology, it is true that of all 
languages, only Lithuanian has preserved the purity of the primitive 
Aryan speech from that remote period of antiquity to the modern age. 
Many ancient languages have vanished long ago from the knowledge of 
mankind; however, the Lithuanian language is like an ancient monument 
of white marble - it still stands untarnished after many centuries of 
man's long history. 

The morphology of the Lithuanian language clearly reveals to us many 
unsolved historical mysteries of ancient civilization, significantly 
expands the horizon of linguistic science and broadens mankind's 
knowledge of his dark past. The discovery of the remarkable similarity 
of the Lithuanian language to Avesta (Old Persian) and Sanskrit has 
clearly opened new frontiers in the field of linguistic science 
according to the conclusions of comparative morphology. Moreover, the 
morphology of the Lithuanian language definitely proves that the 
ruling class, or the kings of the ancient Hittite (Gittitis) nation, 
had surnames similar to Lithuanian surnames. The renowned English 
scholar, Robert G. Latham, was absolutely correct when he said "...There 
is more in language than in any of its productions..." 

Today the world would be far richer in its culture if Lithuania were 
independent, because the Lithuanian nation represents not only the 
Proto-Aryan civilization and culture, but also has the richest 
treasure in the world - its ancient beautiful language. 

The Lithuanian language has extolled for its antiquity and beauty, and 
for its great importance in the field of comparative philology not 
only by the renowned linguistic scholars, but also by the greatest 
philosopher of all, Immanuel Kant. The following fragmentary 
quotations from eminent linguistic scholars will show the value and 
importance of the Lithuanian language to the culture of the world. 
Benjamin W. Dwight, in the book Modern Philology, very strongly 
emphasizes the great value of the Lithuanian language in the field of 
linguistic science. He comments on the Lithuanian language as follows: 

"Of all European languages, the Lithuanian has the greatest number of 
affectionate and diminutive terms, more than the Spanish or Italian, 
even more than Russian, and they can be multiplied almost indefinitely 
by adding them to verbs and adverbs as well as adjectives and nouns. 
If the value of a nation in the total sum humanity were to be measured 
by the beauty of its language, the Lithuanian ought to have the first 
place among the nations of Europe" 

The eminent English linguistic scholar Isaac Taylor, in his book The 
Origin of the Aryans, make a very interesting and important comment on 
the Lithuanian language. He states that the Aryan civilization must 
have been in the Lithuanian region. He comments as follows: 

"It may be surmised that if we possessed a Lithuanian literature of a 
date contemporary with the oldest literature in India, it might be 
contended with the greater reason that the cradle of the Aryan 
language must have been in the Lithuanian region" 

According to the renowned English scholar, Robert G. Latham, the 
Lithuanian language has a stronger affinity to the Sanskrit language 
than all other languages in the world, living or dead. In his book 
Descriptive Ethnology, he comments on the Lithuanian language as 
follows: 

"Now, without doubt, the affinities of the Sanskrit are closer with 
the Lithuanian than with any other language on the face of the earth." 

The importance of the Lithuanian language was recognized also by 
greatest philosopher of modern times, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), who 
was born in Prussian Lithuania and had a thorough knowledge of the 
Lithuanian language. In his preface to a Lithuanian and German 
Dictionary, he wrote that the Lithuanian language deserved the 
protection of the state. His comment on the Lithuanian language has a 
great historical significance, because his comment is authoritative 
and reliable. He was not only a philosopher, but also linguist. He 
comments on the Lithuanian language as follows: 

"As a matter of fact, no other language in the world has received such 
praise as the Lithuanian language. The garlands of high honour have 
been taken to Lithuanian people for inventing, elaborating, and 
introducing the most highly developed human speech with its beautiful 
and clear phonology. Moreover, according to comparative philology, the 
Lithuanian language is best qualified to represent the primitive Aryan 
civilization and culture".

[ratavojums]

Автор наверняка не имел возможности исследовать нынче умирающий латгальский язык, который  последние пол века интенсивно превращается в диалект - некоего грамматически и фонетически  исколeченного урода, потерявшего свою лексику и первобытность.
Ещё одно поколение и язык будет забыт. А жаль. Латгальский язык (не путать с диалектом), наряду с литовским, по моему мнению,  является последними живыми прямыми потомками протобалтийского языка.

[sven]

который  последние пол века интенсивно превращается в диалект - некоего грамматически и фонетически  исколeченного урода, потерявшего свою лексику и первобытность.

только последние полвека?

Роман как-то писал о фонетических сдвигах  в латгaльском, которые произошли отнюдь не полвека тому назад.

[kūlis]

Добрый день,
В этом статье слишком много ошибок и неточностей. Первая фраза должна была быть про санкрит.