May 19, 2008
Hi there, this is Jack and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language. I’m recording this introduction about one hour prior to this week’s podcast release. At the moment Raminta is on a train from New York City to Washington D.C. and next week she’ll be back home and I’m excited about that!
In a previous episode we featured LCC International University in Klaipėda, Lithuania. Today we have a guest from a completely different university. Today we’d like to welcome to the show Virginija Jurgaitytė from Klaipėda University – not to be confused with LCC. Virginija was very gracious to take a half hour out of her schedule. She tells us about the university and, of course, helps us with the vocabulary. Thank you again Virginija for coming on the show. It was very kind of you.
Just so you know, Virginija and I did speak a little in Lithuanian at the end of the episode but Raminta isn’t here right now to help me transcribe the conversation. I’d hate to make some mistakes so you won’t find the conversation on this podcast episode. I’ll add this conversation to an episode in two weeks.
As I mentioned in last week’s episode, the Skype audio quality isn’t great but I’ve listened to this episode a few times and I don’t think it’s terrible. You should be able to understand it just fine. Klaipėda University sounds great. If you decide to go there and study, make sure you say hello to Virginija and mention us here on Lithuanian Out Loud.
As you go through this episode keep in mind nationalities are not capitalized – that’s something I forgot. Thanks for correcting me Virginija.
Okay, thanks a million to everyone who gave us some new reviews on iTunes. We’re up to 22 positive reviews and our goal is 50. We’re almost halfway there. If you have a moment, please consider giving us a review on our iTunes page.
Thanks also to our dear friend Danielle of Sydney, Australia for helping us with the, “where is Lithuania,” street interviews. Danielle, you’re so awesome.
And finally, I’ve got a question for you. Have you ever been able to use your Lithuanian with a native speaker? Tell us about it on the Lithuanian Out Loud blogpage. If you’ve never left us a comment on the blogpage this is how you do it. Just go to our blogpage at www.lithuanian.libsyn.com and look at the most recent episode at the top of the page. Just scroll down to the bottom of the most recent episode and you’ll see the word, “comments.” Click on the comments with your mouse and you’ll see the latest episode again. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and you’ll see a section where you can leave your comments. After typing your comments just type in the two words displayed in the captcha box and click, “submit comment.” It’s that easy.
Okay, that’s just about it. Let’s get to today’s episode and next week we’ll have another guest host. A native Lithuanian speaker who lives in and teaches in Los Angeles, California in the United States.
On with the show! Enjoy!
Laba diena! (good day)
Labą dieną! (good day)
Kaip jums sekasi? (how are you?)
Labai gerai, kaip jums? (very good, how are you?)
Sveikas kaip morka, ačiū (healthy as a carrot, thanks)
Labai gerai
So, how is your day going today, Virginija?
Labai gerai, šiandien (very well, today)
So, can you tell me about Klaipėda University, please?
Oh, what exactly do you want to know?
Well, uh…
It’s a big school.
Why do you think students should study at Klaipėda University?
Well, I don’t know why they shouldn’t – if we would talk about
summer language courses, then I could say why students should come
and study Lithuanian language at Klaipėda University.
Klaipėda University, I guess is the youngest in Lithuania. It
was founded in – right after independence in 1991, so it’s almost
as young as the independence of Lithuania. And then we had
three faculties, just three, now we have seven, we have
grown. And we are also the only university in western
Lithuania.
You would say this is in the region of Samogitia?
Well, if you would look historically and then culturally – now,
it’s mixed, lot’s of people coming from Žemaitija, or this latin
name – Samogitia, are from Žemaitija but originally this region
belonged to Curonians, another Baltic tribe and also Prussians, so
really it’s called like the fifth region of Lithuania – the minor
Lithuania and it has its own dialect, kind of, Aukštatija
(spelling) dialect.
Yeah, I’ve been to Klaipėda many times – my wife is from Klaipėda
and her family is there. So, I’ve been to Klaipėda many
times, it’s a charming city.
Yeah, it is really, but maybe not in winter, but in summer, yes, of
course.
So, how many students study at Klaipėda University?
About 10,000 I guess. More and more students coming to
Klaipėda and about maybe 600 teachers among them, professors with
all possible degrees.
And I understand that Klaipėda University is in a former Soviet
Union army barracks? Yes, exactly, but, yeah, the university
got those buildings in 1993 and the Soviet army left the buildings
and I guess if the soldiers, those who stayed here would come back
they would never recognize them again. It looks completely
different, you know. Interesting. Now, many students
I’m sure go to Vilnius to study, what do you think are the
advantages of studying at Klaipėda University?
Well, for me it’s difficult to say because I can’t speak about all
the possible programs at the university. I can’t compare
Vilnius and Klaipėda and Kaunas and so on. But, again, if you
talk about, let’s say, Baltic studies, Baltic Sea studies, well,
then, of course Klaipėda is the only university where you can study
marine programs, sea research or sea ecology, of course, no other
university can suggest to you such a program. And also, the
university has its own boat now so you can do practice. Then
talking about Lithuanian language courses – summer courses – you
can imagine being here in summer and to have the sea and all those
beautiful seaside shores and nature around you and combined
together with studies of course Klaipėda is the best place in
summer.
I agree, so you have, do you have summer study programs for
students who want to learn or want to study Lithuanian?
Yes, we have been arranging it for seven years now - summer
language courses. Three years of those we had also Erasmus
students. Students who are studying according to European
Union – in European Union city universities and can travel in
European Union. And those who chose to come to Lithuania and
to study here – some of subjects – in any possible Lithuanian
university – not only in Klaipėda. But, some universities
were picked to organize the summer courses. So, Klaipėda was
one of them and we had Erasmus students for three years.
So, I need to stop working and come to Klaipėda to study Lithuanian
then.
Yes, you’re very welcome. And we have not only Erasmus
students, we have other groups at the same time. Once we had
up to sixty people, one summer. We had two groups of Erasmus
students, young people and then, those from the United States and
Canada and New Zealand and Australia, and from Colombia as
well. People are coming from different countries.
Hi there, I’m Jack, I’m Virginija Jurgaitytė, and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language. Today we’re in the month of May which in Lithuanian is Gegužė.
In Lithuanian tradition trees are treated with respect. According to a Lituanus.org article by Elena Bradūnas, long before Christianity arrived in Lithuania, Lithuanians believed the souls of the dead would transfer themselves into a nearby tree, such as a tree near the deceased’s home or in particular, a tree near the person’s grave. Because of this, graveyard trees are sacred and a gardener wouldn’t dream of trimming one of these for fear of causing pain and suffering to the dead.
So, have you heard about this tradition Virginija?
About putting a tree near the person’s grave?
Yeah, and not cutting it?
Not cutting it, I’m not sure.
No? Okay, just curious.
Today we’ll learn how to create the plural of regular feminine nouns. That’s to say, two cars, three days, four schools, etcetera. Masculine nouns have to be matched to masculine numbers and feminine nouns have to be matched to feminine numbers. We’ll go over some irregular nouns later. To review numbers go back to episodes 0041 and 0044.
To create plural nouns in vardininkas;
if a feminine noun ends in –a it changes to –os.
if a feminine noun ends in –ė it changes to –ės.
again, all the numbers and nouns in this episode are feminine.
Kaip pasakyti lietuviškai? How do you say it in
Lithuanian?
the
day
diena
one
day
viena diena
two
days
dvi dienos
the
color
spalva
one
color
viena spalva
two
colors
dvi spalvos
And Virginija, if you notice any mistakes in this lesson, please
feel free to tell me.
No mistakes so far, everything is labai gerai.
the
school
mokykla
one
school
viena mokykla
two
schools
dvi mokyklos
the
car
mašina
one
car
viena mašina
two
cars
dvi mašinos
the
wife
žmona
one
wife
viena žmona
two
wives
dvi žmonos
the
book
knyga
one
book
viena knyga
two
books
dvi knygos
the female
friend
draugė
one female
friend
viena draugė
two female
friends
dvi draugės
the Lithuanian female
lietuvė
one Lithuanian female
viena lietuvė
two Lithuanian females
dvi lietuvės
the
street
gatvė
one
street
viena gatvė
two
streets
dvi gatvės
the glass
just the glass and it’s the glass for, say, champagne or wine –
then it’s
taurė
the
glass
taurė
one
glass
viena taurė
two
glasses
dvi taurės
the
cat
katė
one
cat
viena katė
two
cats
dvi katės
the
grape
vynuogė
one
grape
viena vynuogė
two
grapes
dvi vynuogės
now let’s add some numbers that we learned in episode 0041
again, these are all feminine numbers and feminine nouns
two
days
dvi dienos
three
colors
trys spalvos
four
schools
keturios mokyklos
And Virginija, can I ask you, do you think that you have an accent from a region of Lithuania?
Me, personally?
Yes.
Now, when I’m speaking with you or reading those phrases – not,
let’s say, the State Lithuanian language, but otherwise I have
Žemaičių dialektas – I’m from Žemaitija.
Aha, okay, so your accent would be a little different from an
accent in Vilnius for example?
Oh, yes, it would be really different. Not a bit, but really
different.
Really different. So somebody, yeah, they would know right
away that you are from maybe the Klaipėda area or something.
No, I’m not from Klaipėda. I’m like, let’s say 80 kilometers
from Klaipėda, Šilalė, a small town called Šilalė. So, the
phrases would sound like, not dvi dienos but dvi dienos and not
trys spalvos but trys spalvos.
Wow, interesting.
And not keturios mokyklos but keturios mokyklos.
Okay, this makes sense then. So, how would you – kaip
pasakyti lietuviškai – kas naujo?
You mean, how would I say it in my dialect?
Yes.
Kas naujo.
Aha, so, would somebody from Vilnius say, kas naujo?
Yeah, they would say kas naujo and I say kas naujo.
Now I understand. Sometimes – I’m trying to learn, I guess,
Vilnius dialect and sometimes I say to my wife, kas naujo?
But, she says to me, kas naujo? I was very confused.
Okay, so, interesting, so I will continue then.
five
cars
penkios mašinos
six
wives
šešios žmonos
seven
books
septynios knygos
eight female
friends
aštuonios draugės
nine Lithuanian females
devynios lietuvės
two
glasses
dvi taurės
three
streets
trys gatvės
four
cats
keturios katės
seven
grapes
septynios vynuogės
six
days
šešios dienos
eight
colors
aštuonios spalvos
three
schools
trys mokyklos
two
cars
dvi mašinos
nine
wives
devynios žmonos
four
books
keturios knygos
seven female
friends
septynios draugės
five Lithuanian females
penkios lietuvės
two
glasses
dvi taurės
nine
streets
devynios gatvės
seven
cats
septynios katės
three
grapes
trys vynuogės
eight
days
aštuonios dienos
six
colors
šešios spalvos
two
schools
dvi mokyklos
four
cars
keturios mašinos
two
wives
dvi žmonos
nine
books
devynios knygos
two female
friends
dvi draugės
three
glasses
trys taurės
seven
streets
septynios gatvės
eight
cats
aštuonios katės
six
grapes
šešios vynuogės
Soon we’ll go over masculine nouns. Thanks to Eglė Ribalkaitė (of Klaipėda, Lithuania) for reviewing this episode for errors.
Puiku! Excellent! You made it to the end of another episode! Puiku!
Klaipėda University
http://www.ku.lt/en/
A Study in Oicotype and Folk Belief by ELENA
BRADŪNAS
http://www.lituanus.org/1975/75_1_01.htm