Glossary of pre-Christian Lithuanian names
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A number of Lithuanian surnames evolved from the ancient pre-Christian Lithuanian personal names, such as Budrys, Girdenis, Tylenis, Vilkas, Amantas, Bukantas, Rimgaila, Vizgirda, Tarvydas.[1] Many of them are of compound type, typically consisting of two stems (dithematic names), and many are of single stem.[2][3][4] Sometimes the order of these stems may reverse, e.g., Norvaišas vs. Vaišnoras, Tautvydas vs. Vytautas.
Some two-stemmed names have a clear etymology, arising from nicknames, such as Baltakis = Balt-akys = "White eyes". Alfred Senn suggests that such transparent names are less ancient development, while those with non-evident etymology originate from the Indo-European pra-language.[5]
A two-stemmed name may be further compounded into a patronymic cognomen/surname: Algirdas—Algirdaitis (son of Algirdas; see Lithuanian names of Vladimir Olgerdovich, Andrei of Polotsk, Dmitry of Bryansk), Žygimantas—Žygimantaitis.[2]
Much of this glossary of stems common in ancient Lithuanian names is based on Dictionary of Lithuanian Surnames, searchable online in the Lithuanian Surname Database (LSD).[6]
A
- Al-, Alg-; several suggested etymologies[3]
- Ar-
- Aš-
- lt:Ašmantas, Ašvydas
B
- bu, but (may be first or second stem), associated with the verb "to be" (search for "Butautas" in the LSD)[6]
D
G
- -gail-; from gaileti/gailus, "sorry", or gailas, "strong" (search for "Bargaila" in the LSD)[6]
- -ged-: the root from gedḗti “to regret; to be sad”, gedēuti “to ask, to search, to inquire, when missing something; to long for; to want, to desire”.[7]
- -gird-, -gerd-; from girdeti, išgirsti, "hear" (search for "Girdvainis" in the LSD)[6]
K
L
- '-leng-' , "easy", "light"[9]
M
- -mant- is thought to be associated with the word manyti, "to think", " to know", as in mantus, "clever", "cunning"
- Daumantas, lt:Mangirdas, Mantautas, Mantvila/Montvila/Mantvilas/Montvilas, Rimantas, Sudmantas, Vidmantas, Žygimantas (search for "Manginas" in the LSD)[6]
- -min-
N
R
S
- sūd-:
- Sudmantas (Sudemunt, Sudimont, Sudymont; see lt:Sudimantai), Sudmantis, Sudgintas, Sudvinas[11]
- -sur-, probably from Old Prussian sur-gi, "about"[12]
T
- Tar-
- Tarvydas, Tarvilas
- -tau-/-taut-; "-tautas" is a very common second part. The Lithuanian word wikt:tautà is a cognate of Latvian tautà and Old Prussian tauto, all meaning "land, country, region", etc.[13]
V
- Vaid-: Several hypotheses of Baltic roots: (1) to see, to know;[16] (2) associated with the verb vaidyti ("to visit, to appear", (3) "to act" (as actor))[17] or (4) vaidytis (to quarrel).
- -vel-, -vil- is associated with the word viltis, "hope" (search for "Vilbutas" in the LSD)[6]
- -vid/vyd- "to see" (a common Indo-Eropean stem; cf. išvysti, видеть, "vision")[25]
- -vin: Kazimieras Būga reports several names with this stem:[28]
- Buivinas, Daugvinas, Gedvinas, Kąsvinas, Kęsvinas, lt:Lengvinas,[29] Lingvinas, Liutvinas, Mantvinas, Mulvinas, Skirvinas, Sudvinas
Z
- Žei-
- lt:Žeimantas, Žeimintas