Besonderheiten der Umgangssprache der Litauer Lettlands: Gebrauch der Präpositionen

Abstract

A language is one of the most important indexes of ethnical awareness of Latvian Lithuanians. Societal functions of the Lithuanian language as the one of the ethnical minority in Latvia are narrowed – this language serves only for everyday communication because a possibility to use one's mother tongue in a different language environment is linked more with individual or family needs and those of a small circle of friends (more rarely, for the needs of community activities, in case if Lithuanians of a certain locality join associations). Thus, among Latvian Lithuanians, a spoken language is more common. The linguistic peculiarities of Lithuanians living in Latvia have been mostly investigated on the lexis level until now. However, a great variety of prepositional constructions is noticeable as well in the mother tongue of Lithuanians. According to their expression, the three-fold usage can be singled out: as in the Lithuanian literary language; as in a spoken language or dialects; and as in the language impacted by the Latvian language (or undergoing its additional impact). Such changes of the native Lithuanian language have occurred in the environment of the foreign language due to different reasons. The Latvian language has made and still makes a great influence; also, some constructions peculiar to the spoken Lithuanian language are present, too.