Lithuanian Out Loud 0068 - Ąžuoliukas Little Oak

Apr 8, 2008

Hey, hey, hey!  Hey, hey, hey, what you say?  How are you doin’ love?  I’m doing good today.  I’m glad to hear that.  Yeah, today the weather is really bad. 

Hi there, I’m Jack and I’m Raminta and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where the lessons are free and you’ve got a money back guarantee.

Today we’re in the month of April which in Lithuanian is balandis.

According to the Wikipedia page entitled, “Coat of arms of Lithuania,” the Vytis was the Lithuanian state emblem of the Republic of Lithuania until 1940, when the nation was invaded by the Soviet Union and all national symbols were outlawed.  On 11 March 1990, Lithuania declared its independence again and restored its national symbols, including the Vytis.  The name of the Vytis is related to the verb, vyti – to chase.  Today the Vytis is a rider on a white horse on a red background.

Remember back in episode 0034 when we told you about the Battle of the Sun of 1236?  That was the battle where the Lithuanians all but wiped out the invading German Livonian Brothers of the Sword.  Mindaugas and his wife Morta were crowned King and Queen of Lithuania during the summer of 1253, just seventeen years later.  During the 1240s Grand Duke Mindaugas was consolidating his power in Lithuania but the German Knights were still a very real problem for him and the Lithuanian people.  Mindaugas knew that if he could get the Pope in Rome to recognize him as the ruler of Lithuania, the German Crusaders would have to get off his back.  Of course the price of recognition by Rome was that he and his people would have to accept Christianity.  That was the price for peace, become a Christian or the Pope’s armies would continue to rape Lithuanian lands.

So, Mindaugas was baptized, the Pope was happy and there was peace.  Ten years after Mindaugas was crowned king, he was assassinated and the people who never liked the idea of becoming Christians reverted back to their traditional gods.  Today Mindaugas is a national hero in Lithuania.  He is generally considered the founder of the Lithuanian state, and the first leader to unite the Balts.

We mention Vytis and Mindaugas because both are not only historical symbols, they’re popular names for Lithuanian males.

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Okay, this is our fourth episode focused on love talk.  Today we continue with the diminutive that we started in episode 0067.  We went over feminine diminutives, today we’ll focus on the masculine.

In these episodes we’re simply introducing you to the Lithuanian diminutive endings.  Some endings that are possible, aren’t used very much.  Lithuanians like to play with diminutive endings in many ways.  After studying the feminine and masculine diminutives you should at least be able to recognize them when you see and hear them.  The possible combinations are endless.

Masculine suffixes in the diminutive include…

–utis
–ėlis
–elis
–ukas
–iukas
–ulis
–užis
–ytis
–užėlis

So nicely done, good job.  Oh, thank you.  Note that all these suffixes end in the letter –s.  Labai gerai. Like…

Aras  Aras is a man’s name.

Aras plus –utis → Arutis
Aras plus –elis → Arelis
Aras plus –ukas → Arukas

Vytis  Vytis is a man‘s name.  Vytis is the state symbol of Lithuania.

Vytis plus –utis → Vytutis
Vytis plus –elis → Vytelis
Vytis plus –ukas → Vytukas

Ąžuolas  Ąžuolas is a man‘s name and it means oak.

Can you imagine in English parents would give the name for their boy – oak?  No way, but I think it‘s really cute.  I think it‘s a good idea.  Really?  But to me in English it sounds kind of funny – oak.  Oak.  Oak.  Very strong guy.  Yeah, I know.  By the way, I have a Christmas tree in my apartment. 

(Raminta is referring to a visitor in her flat, a good friend named Eglė.  Eglė is the Lithuanian word for fir tree or Christmas tree.)

Still?  Eglė!  Oh, that‘s right, Eglė!  Eglė should marry a guy named Ąžuolas and they can be the miškas family.  (miškas is the Lithuanian word for forest)  Oh, you know there is the last name Miškas – you know our old religion, it‘s something...that‘s funny...but you know I really like the name Liepa for the girl...and I‘m not sure how it‘s – liepa – in English.  Fox.  Fox?  I think.  Liepa?  Fox?  This little animal?  No, no, lapė, lapė is the fox.  Oh, lapė!  Right, lapė.  But, Liepa is a tree, a tree, it‘s a nice tree and it‘s a nice name for a girl I don‘t know in English, I will look maybe later on vocabulary what it is.  Not aspen, huh?  No, birželis – aspen.  Ah, birželis, right.

Ąžuolas plus –utis → Ąžuolutis
Ąžuolas plus –ėlis → Ąžuolėlis
Ąžuolas plus –iukas → Ąžuoliukas

Mindaugas Mindaugas is a man‘s name.

Mindaugas plus –utis → Mindaugutis
Mindaugas plus –ėlis → Mindaugėlis
Mindaugas plus –iukas → Mindaugiukas

Again, not just names use the diminutive.  There are thousands of examples.

maišas is a sack
maišelis is a small sack
paukštis is a bird
paukštelis is a nestling or a chick
kostiumas is a man’s suit
kostiumėlis is woman’s suit
pyragas is a pie
pyragėlis is a pastry

Šaunu!  Great!  You made it to the end of another episode!  Šaunu!

Alright!  That’s it for today!  Thanks for the download!
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Thanks for tuning in, tell your friends about us, we’ll see you on the next episode of Lithuanian Out Loud.
I’m Jack and I’ve never met a Lithuanian I didn’t like.  Viso gero!  Sudie!

LITHUANIAN IN THE 21st CENTURY by Antanas Klimas
http://www.lituanus.org/2002/02_4_04.htm

Mindaugas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindaugas

Coat of arms of Lithuania
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vytis

http://www.Lithuanian.Libsyn.com
Skype voicemail:  Lithuanianoutloud
email Raminta and Jack at: [e-mail] 
http://www.vieuxfarkatoure.com/
http://www.ccmixter.org/