Latvian Language Research Articles

Vecāku līdzdalība pirmsskolas vecuma bērnu vārdu krājuma paplašināšanā

Parental involvement in the development of the vocabulary of preschool children will improve not only their success at school, but also their cognitive and emotional development. Children start to learn language from the moment they are born and this process depends on the continued involvement of the parents. The aim of the article is to define the extent of parental knowledge and opinions regarding the development of the vocabulary and the methods that could be used to improve it. The article is based on the results of a previous study that is a part of a national research programme (“Latviešu valoda”) which focuses on the development of Latvian language in preschool children. The study used parental surveys in order to gather their opinion on the importance of their involvement in the development of preschool children’s vocabulary. The data gathered from these surveys was analysed to present statistically significant results. The information gathered from the surveys could be used to analyse if there are any issues in the parental knowledge about vocabulary development and used by teachers and education specialists to support parents in a more informed way. One of the observed effects of the surveys was an increased parental attention to the speech and vocabulary of their children which was required in order to answer the questions. Similarly, the parents noticed that some activities and processes that are related to the language development did not previously receive as much of their attention as they thought they should give. Conversations, reading and singing were considered to be the most important tools of speech and language development by the surveyed parents. Alarmingly, approximately half of the parents considered the requirements for vocabulary development to be lower than what is currently considered to be standard with a large proportion of the parents significantly underestimating these requirements. Therefore, the authors believe that parents often fail to recognise issues with their child’s vocabulary, as they lack the knowledge to properly assess the development of speech and vocabulary. The results of the study suggest that the problem of parental implication in preschool children’s vocabulary should be analysed further and extended to consider the family’s socioeconomic context.

Transdisciplinaritāte studiju kursa „Latviešu valoda kā svešvaloda” īstenošanā

Each year international students from Asia enroll in the study programs implemented by the Faculty of E-Learning Technologies and Humanities of Riga Technical University. It is interesting to note that some of these students come with the preliminary knowledge of the Latvian language at level A2 and some even at level B1 according to CEFR, which they have acquired in their home country. Therefore, one of the tasks the instructor should complete within the study course “Latvian as a Foreign Language” is to select appropriate pedagogical contents and methods that would not only facilitate acquisition of a foreign language, but would also promote positive attitude to the country and culture which language is being acquired. Adoption of the transdisciplinary approach is one of the options. Resting on these premises, the paper analyzes the experience of the author through the prism of trans-disciplinary pedagogical approach. Delivering the study course “Latvian as a Foreign Language” to the students with preliminary knowledge, the instructor shall not focus solely on expanding student vocabulary range and training in grammatical regularities. It is important to develop understanding about the cross-cultural dialogue and include the elements of creativity in the curriculum. Both components are connected with the transdisciplinary approach. Transdisciplinary pedagogical approach may be really challenging for the instructor. Interest, involvement and eagerness to expand one’s knowledge play a crucial role. Attitude becomes a category of self-education. One of the options implementing the above-mentioned approach is to invite a guest lecturer – a professional in a definite field – to deliver a class together. It is not only the students who benefit from this practice but also the instructor, as in such a way self-education process occurs. Transdisciplinary pedagogical approach opens to both students and the instructor a wider, more comprehensive perspective on different areas of research and culture, their interconnectedness and contexts, as well as promotes awareness of the fact that the borders among the areas are not set but rather are flexible. Before delivering a practical class based on the transdisciplinary approach, it is necessary to design a precise action plan comprising several action points: selection of the relevant theme and a guest lecturer, getting ready for the class, delivery of the transdisciplinary class, polling the student after the practical class, or getting feedback. Only successfully completing each action point included in the plan both students and the academic staff may reach the desired positive outcome.

„Latviešu valoda zobārstniecības studentiem” – pirmā latviešu valodas kā svešvalodas mācību grāmata zobārstniecības studentiem

Latvian as a foreign language is being learned both inside and outside Latvia. It is done in higher education institutions as well as various group language classes and individual lessons. The goals of learners range from professional and research-driven needs to personal interests. A significant part of Latvian language learners in Latvia are international students who study in higher education institutions in Latvia. Those are not exclusively exchange students. There is a considerable number of international students who study full-time academic programs in universities of Latvia. The first adult-oriented textbook of Latvian as a foreign language came out in 1960s. Since then, quite a lot of various learning materials have been created with 11 intermediary languages. However, the contents of almost all textbooks are targeted to people who have either a general or philological interest in Latvian, because in the higher education institutions outside Latvia, Latvian is often learned for research purposes as a part of philology studies. The authors of the present paper – Inga Kaija and Inga Laizāne – teach Latvian to international students who study dentistry at Riga Stradiņš University in Latvia. These students have a specific goal when learning Latvian, namely, they have to be able to communicate to their patients in Latvian, which is using the language in a professional environment. The pre-existing textbooks are not suitable for reaching this goal in a relatively short time. Thus, a new textbook had to be created to support the learners’ needs. The textbook “Latvian for dentistry students” has been created to support acquisition of the basics of Latvian with the purpose of enabling a conversation between a dentist and a patient. The needs of the language learners have been acknowledged by employing the communicative approach but also including explanations on grammatical topics. A grammar overview is included in the end of the book. It could be useful for any adult learner of Latvian as a foreign language as well as teachers. Its target user is the practically, rather than academically inclined learner. This kind of grammar overview has not been included in any textbooks of Latvian before.

The notion of state. Connotations of topical usage using discourse analysis

One of the most powerful political concepts in Europe, including Latvia, is the welfare state. Whether or not the Latvian language environment reveals hopes and expectations regarding the notion may be determined through a close study of the parliamentary discourse of the past five years, as well as the language user opinions regarding state. The goal of the research is to analyse the topical usage of the notion state and its connotations. As data collection tools, the study used language corpora which display the most frequent collocations and the related semantic fields of a given word. The data analysis was carried out via critical discourse analysis focusing on the dominant characteristics in the language use. The analysis found contradictory usage of the word state. Within the speeches of the members of the parliament, deviations from the definition of the state and new connotations attached to the notion were observed, implying a collective responsibility of the state instead of individual. Both language users and members of the parliament await a strict governmental management and wish to view it as an authority. The desire of a wealth-providing, generous state could signify a hope for a welfare state, albeit peculiarly interpreted.

Oskara Rihtera „Meži šalc” – pirmais latviešu sociālistiskā reālisma romāns

In the 1920s–1930s a significant number of Latvians lived in the USSR (the number of Latvians in the USSR ranged from 120,000 to 200,000 in these decades). The USSR Latvian diaspora had a small contact with the Latvian population in Latvia, but despite this, a separate, unique Latvian culture was formed – a network of Latvian schools, technical schools, periodicals, theatres, publishing houses, etc. Literature was also of great importance – it helped to improve the Latvian language, as well as intellectually unite the wide-spread Latvian diaspora in the USSR. The choice of Latvians to live in the USSR rather than in Latvia in the 1920s–1930s, could be interpreted as submission to the Soviet regime and even betrayal of Latvia, therefore, even today, the life of Soviet Latvians, and especially literature, has been relatively under-researched. In the 1930s in the USSR, there were six novels published in Latvian. They were written in the context of the totalitarian rule when the process of literary control was intensified, so writers had to be subject to the principles of socialist realism. The focus of the research is on the last Soviet Latvian novel issued in the 1930s –“Meži šalc” (1936) by Oskars Rihters (1898–1938). In the analysis of the novel, attention is drawn to its creation, perception, cultural, and historical context, as well as its artistic structure and value. The novel is an apology of Marxist-Leninist ideology. “Meži šalc” has similarities with canonical Russian texts (for example, “How the Steel Was Tempered” (Как закалялась сталь, 1934) by Nikolai Ostrovsky (Николай Островский, 1904–1934)). The novel represents the USSR trend in art not only thematically, but also in compositional form. Hence, this novel should be regarded as the first consistent novel of socialist realism in the history of Latvian literature.

The acquisition of the Latvian language as the Second language at preschool age in theory and practice

In Latvia there are no substantial studies on bilingual preschool children’s Latvian language as the second language. The article provides an overview of the 20th–21st century linguistic theories in the context of child second language acquisition as well as raises awareness about their infl uence on and use in the learning of preschoolers whose second language is Latvian, carrying out content analysis of the Minority Preschool Education Program(with instruction in Russian), the Latvian Language Program of X preschool education establishment, teaching resources (teaching aid kits, didactic handouts) as well as the Latvian language as the second language study content.The conclusion is drawn that the theory of communicative competence and the systemic functional grammar theory prevail as well as the basic principles of the behavioral theory can be discerned. In the teaching resources and learning process it is advisable to more often incorporate the same language material repetition in different situations and new combinations. Consideration must be given to more positive and negative transfer (interference) emphasis. To prevent children’s errors it is advisable to provide and incorporate special exercises in the teaching resources as well as methodological recommendations for the Latvian language teachers.

Comparing Text-Matching Software Systems Using the Document Set in the Latvian Language

There are many internationally developed text-matching software systems that help successfully identify potentially plagiarized content in English texts using both their internal databases and web resources. However, many other languages are not so widely spread but they are used daily to communicate, conduct research and acquire education. Each language has its peculiarities, so, in the context of finding content similarities, it is necessary to determine what systems are more suitable for a document set written in a specific language. The research focuses on testing the existent text-matching software systems on a set of documents prepared in the Latvian language. The corpus includes documents containing verbatim plagiarism, paraphrasing, translation plagiarism and original text to test both false positive and false negative cases. In total, 16 different text-matching software systems are compared on the plagiarism coverage using the prepared document corpus. The research presented is a part of an international initiative “Testing of Support Tools for Plagiarism Detection (TeSToP)” established under the European Network for Academic Integrity.

THE LATVIAN LANGUAGE IN THE LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE OF DAUGAVPILS (THE MIDDLE OF THE 19TH CENTURY - TODAY)

This paper will focus on the LL of Daugavpils from a diachronic point of view in order to describe the usage of the Latvian language in the public space since the middle of the 19th century until today, as well as the socio-economic and political factors which influence the language situation. Research sources are old photos which depict legible signboards, and photos obtained during LL research 2013.
 The role of the Latvian language in public information increased during the first period of independence, when ideas of nationalism become widespread and the first normative documents about language usage were approved. However, the stability of Latvian as the main language of the public was only established during the first Latvian Republican period at the end of the 20th century, when the State Language Law was passed and implemented in linguistic practice. Currently, the linguistic landscape reflects the political, socio-pragmatic, and social identity motivations of the owners of public texts, but within the confines of the restrictions imposed by language laws.

Latvian or English – the Language Situation in Scientific Communication in Latvia

The growing dominance of English as an international language of scientific communication in the world has been widely acknowledged. However, its effect in the relevant discourse community in Latvia is still to be explored. A case study was undertaken to improve upon the current understanding of the choice of scientific publishing language in Latvia and explore historical factors underpinning the current predominance of English as the lingua franca of the scientific community. It has been concluded that with a strong focus on international publishing in indexed databases, the role of English in scientific communication in Latvia has an increasing tendency to grow. Although currently English does not pose an existential threat to the use of the Latvian language in scientific publications, there is alarming evidence of the increasing hegemony of English in Latvia.

CONFLICT OF INTERPRETATIONS OF LATGALIAN ETHNO-POLITICAL IDENTITY IN MODERN LATVIAN SOCIETY

Latgalians are an ethnic group located in Latvia characterized could be characterized by an extremely undefined status. In the public discourse there are two narratives, that are opposite in meaning, constructing which form the ethnopolitical status of the people of Latagle and their historical memory. The first reflects the official position of the Latvian state, and is based on the non-recognition of Latgalians as an independent ethnic group. Also, interoperating the Latgalian language is viewed as a variant of the Latvian language and there is historical reference to the 1917 Latgale Congress that united Latvia. The opposite narrative affirms asserts the historical and cultural autonomy of the Latgalian people and the independence of the Latgalian language, based on the history of the struggle for the political autonomy of Latgale and the historical memory of discrimination by the Latvian majority as well. The article analyzes the fundamental factors contributing to irreparable the unavoidable uncertainty of in the construction of Latgalian identity and the impracticability of both political narratives. The limited and insufficient logic of postcolonial theory, which is regularly used to characterize ethnopolitical processes in the post-Soviet space and, in particular, in Latvia is shown in the article. It is concluded that the fundamental uncertainty factors of Latgalian identity, intensified by the action could be reinforced by the action of European integration processes, impede the possibility of political mobilization based on both nationalist state policy and the idea of Latgalian ethnopolitical autonomy.

The manifestations of political correctness in the Lithuanian and Latvian languages

The article discusses the manifestations of the ideology of political correctness in the current Lithuanian and Latvian languages. It features a more detailed analysis of the usage of words referring to persons by health, race and nationality (invalidas – neįgalusis, invalīds – nespējnieks [invalid – disabled]; negras – juodaodis, nēģeris – melnais [negro – black]; čigonas – romas, čigāns – roms [gipsy – Romany], etc.). At first glance, the intentions of the supporters of that ideology seem honorable: their substitution for ordinary words can be seen as a euphemism of a language, which is promoted by tolerance of otherness, empathy, and the pursuit of non-offending communication. However, the implementation of that ideology introduces a new language and is often accessible to extremes, absurdity. The authors of the article agree with linguists and other cultural figures who believe that imposing political correctness for a language is essentially harmful. One characteristic consequence of this interference with language is that a certain, usually negative, connotation of the word, naturally or fancifully conceived by ideology enthusiasts in English-speaking society, is transferred to other languages irrespective of their established meanings and shades. Thus, neutral words unreasonably attribute to a negative evaluation of the subject matter. Recommendations for the usage of words in one way or another should be guided by linguistic science and one’s own cultural tradition, not by an unconditional adherence to any ideology.

Cooperation with Russia and the Current State of the RussianLanguage Community on the Agenda of the 2018 Election to the Seimas of Latvia

The article discusses the opinion of the relevant participants in the 2018 elections to the Seimas of Latvia in regards to the Latvian-Russian relations and the situation of the Russianspeaking community in the country. The issue sprung up in the period between the elections as a result of foreign policy (confrontation between Russia and the West to regards to the events in Ukraine) and internal political factors (adoption of the law stipulating the transfer of ethnic minority schools to teaching in the Latvian language). In the light of the ethnic conflict between Latvians and the Russian-speaking population in Latvia, the authors have based their research on S. Lipset and S. Rokkan’s theory of demarcations. Drawing on this theory, the authors use the scoring method to highlight ideological contrasts of political parties. As a result, three different approaches to the current situation have been identified. The first approach is focused on creating conditions for ethnic equality in Latvia and cooperation with Russia. The second approach, on the contrary, stands for limiting the rights of the Russian-speaking population in Latvia and continuing confrontation with the Russian Federation. The third approach, being ideologically close to the second, nevertheless allows for some latitude towards Russian-speaking residents. Based on Pearson’s correlation method, the analysis of the voting geography showed that the ideological contrasts existing between political forces coincide with their electoral divergences.

Hipoteza Witolda Mańczaka o ugrofińskim substracie w językach bałtyckich

Witold Mańczak’s Hypothesis about the Finno-Ugric Substrate in the Baltic Languages
 The paper discusses Witold Mańczak’s hypothesis concerning a Finnic (particularly Balto-Finnic) substrate in the Baltic languages (Mańczak 1990: 29–38; 1993: 151; 2008: 149–152), as well as J. H. Holst’s critical evaluation of the problem (Holst 2015: 151–173). Mańczak lists as many as ten arguments in support of the substrate theory: According to Meillet (1925: 100–101), the disappearance of the neuter gender in Lithuanian and Latvian occurred under the influence of Balto-Finnic languages, since the category of gender is absent from Finno-Ugric; Old Lithuanian displays secondary local cases (i.e. illative, allative, adessive, ines-sive), formed using postpositions according to the Finno-Ugric pattern (Meillet 1925: 101); The Lithuanian constructions expressing evidentiality (e.g. Lith. nešęs velnias ak-menį) – as well as their Latvian counterparts – appeared due to substrate influence, according to Pisani (1959: 217); The Lithuanian numerals 11–19 ending in -lika (e.g, Lith. vienúolika ‘eleven’, dvýlika ‘twelve’, etc.) are of substrate origin (Pisani 1959: 217); The particle of the Lithuanian imperative -ki or -k (e.g. OLith. dúoki ‘give’) – repro-duces a similar particle known from Finnish, according to some scholars (Топоров, Трубачев 1962: 249–250); The alternation of voiced and voiceless consonants like blekai / plekai ‘tripe’ (Kiparsky 1968: 76–90 lists 200 such doublets in Latvian and 50 in Lithuanian) may be caused by the influence of a Finno-Ugric substratum, since the Finno-Ugric lan-guages used to lack voiced consonants; There are Common Baltic terms of Finno-Ugric origin, e.g. the name for ‘amber’: OPrus. gentars, Lith. giñtaras, Latv. dzĩtars m. ‘amber’ (Bednarczuk 1976: 47–48). The use of the genitive instead of an adjective in East Baltic (e.g. Lith. lietuvių kalba ‘Lithuanian language’, Latv. latviešu valoda ‘Latvian language’), unknown in other Indo-European languages, arose through Balto-Finnic influence – cf. Finnish suomen kieli ‘Finnish language’, Est. eesti keel ‘Estonian language’ (Bednarczuk 1968). The territory of Latvia abounds in hydronyms of Finnic provenance, while in Lithuania we may identify the name Nemunas (chief river in the area) as well as ca. 30 other river names of potential Finno-Ugric origin (Zinkevičius 1984: 155). The non-distinction of grammatical number in third-person finite verb forms in Lithua-nian, Latvian and Old Prussian was, according to some researchers (e.g. Thomason, Kaufman 1988: 243), caused by Balto-Finnic influence. Besides, the present author reviews Holst’s critical paper on the theory of a Uralic substratum in Common Baltic.

Latgalian surnames as a source of research in dialectology and language contact studies

AbstractThis article is focused on the analysis of surnames used in the eastern part of Latvia, i.e., Latgale, the history of which to a certain extent differs from other regions of Latvia. This is due to almost 300 years (1629–1917) of isolation from the territory inhabited by other ethnic Latvians, during which this region was under Polish and later Russian rule. During this 300-year-long separation, Latgale developed its own culture, a written tradition based on the local Latvian dialect, etc. The introduction of surnames for the Latvians of Latgale also differed from other regions. As Latgale is a multi-ethnic region, the system of surnames used there reflects not only the peculiarities of the local sub-dialects in vocabulary and semantics, but also contacts with other languages – Lithuanian, Estonian, Polish, Russian, Belarusian.This article is based on research results acquired within the framework of the project “Latvian surnames in archival materials. Latgale” directed by the Latvian Language Agency. Its main objective was to systematise Latgalian surnames registered in the 1935 census. The research data were summarised in a book “Latvian surnames in archival materials. Latgale”, compiled by historian Ilmārs Mežs. This book comprises about 4000 Latvian surnames from Latgale. Each surname is provided with statistical information and a description of its historical place of origin (sometimes even a particular village). Whenever possible, one or several versions of the meaning of each surname are given.

Content and language integrated learning and teaching in digital class: Latvia experience

The topicality of the research relates to the problem that in the last ten or more years approximately 300 thousand Latvian people live outside Latvia. Together with parents are living children in more than 15 countries. One of the tasks with national importance is to help to children and their family to save or to develop Latvian language and culture traditions, to give possibility to return to Latvia and to continue education process in Latvia. Latvian Language State Agency provides an opportunity to learn Latvian as a State language and to get acquainted with Latvian culture traditions, to understand social events, relationships in the society. One of possibility for this is to plan and to realize integrated content and language learning and teaching process for children outside Latvia in a digital class. That means to use Classflow site and another digital tools (Skype, a mobile phone and toys with special computer software, interactive blackboard programs etc.). Aim of the study is to analyze the experience of children living outside Latvia to learn integrated content and language with digital tools. Research is based on analyses of theories about content and language integrated learning, communicative approach for language acquirement and teacher’s professional competence. Empirical research is based on pedagogical observation and teacher’s survey results. As respondents are 120 children (6-14 year old) in 22 groups/digital classes and 16 teachers./ Keywords: digital class as a work organization form, content and language integrated learning (CLIL), teacher’s professional competence

The Publishing of International Multilingual Lithuanian Periodicals (1904–1940)

During 1904–1940, a total of 26 periodicals were published in Lithuania and in foreign countries in which the Lithuanian language was used alongside others. The demand for multilingual periodicals had emerged during the first part of the 20th c. as new cultural, economic, and political conditions took shape in Eastern and Central Europe. For the governments and businesses of Lithuania, Germany, Latvia, and Poland, the development of economic relations was of the biggest importance, and this process was to be stimulated using the multilingual publications that were being released in these countries. Also, particular importance was granted to the political cooperation of the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). Cultural relations, on the other hand, were less expressed in the multilingual periodicals and not characterized by commercial success. For propaganda purposes, a considerable number of multilingual publications were released by Germany during the First World War. Apart from Lithuanian, these multilingual publications were marked by the use of German, English, Polish, French, Latvian, and Russian languages; among the rarer instances were Belarusian, Yiddish, and Estonian texts. The emergence of multilingual periodicals and the presence of the Lithuanian language in these publications reflected the international recognition of the Lithuanian nation and its state. It represented an understanding of multiculturalism and peculiar needs within the society and resembled the dialogue occurring across the political, economic, and cultural dimensions.

ORGANIZATION OF THE PEDAGOGICAL COOPERATION PROCESS FOR CHINESE STUDENTS IN THE LATVIAN LANGUAGE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

It is self-evident that in the second decade of the 21st century more and more students are involved in mobility: knowledge is acquired beyond the borders of their country, as well as studying new foreign languages - not only the language of the great nations alone. Students' goal is not only to enrich their knowledge and intellectual potential but also ensure more opportunities for themselves in the labour market. Twenty students from the Beijing International Study University (Beijing International Studies University; BISU) have acquired Latvian language as a foreign language as well as other human-oriented subjects related to Latvia during the 2017/2018 academic year at the Riga Technical University (RTU). For teaching staff this is a big challenge: they need to find a new approach, students from different countries must be treated differently, choosing different teaching tools and pedagogical methods, and constantly thinking about pedagogical cooperation process. This is important not only for successful communication, but also for the advanced new knowledge and skills transfer to students. The article is dedicated to finding out the peculiarities of the organization of the pedagogical cooperation process for Chinese students in the classes of the Latvian language as a foreign language.

CHILDREN’S DEPRESSION RATING SCALE-REVISED (CDRS-R) – DEVELOPMENT OF THE LATVIAN VERSION AND PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES IN A CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL SAMPLE OF ADOLESCENTS

Depression is one of the most widespread mental disorders worldwide. Adolescence is a vulnerable period for developing depression. It is associated with a number of challenges in biological, psychological and social areas. Valid and reliable measurement instruments are required for assessment of symptoms of depression in clinical samples of adolescents in Latvia. Children's Depression Rating Scale Revised (CDRS-R, Posnanski & Mokros, 1996) is a semi-structured, clinician-rated interview for assessment of depression in children and adolescents. While the CDRS-R is the most widely used rating scale for research and clinicians’ practical use worldwide, there's no validated version in Latvian language available yet. The aim of this study is to present the reliability and validity of the Latvian version of CDRS-R in the adolescent age group. Twenty-five adolescents (aged 12-17) with diagnosis of depressive disorder (inpatients and outpatients) and twenty healthy controls were assessed with CDRS-R by clinical psychologist. Reliability and validity were calculated and analyzed: Cronbach’s alpha, Weighted Kappa, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Receiver operating characteristic (ROC). The Latvian translation of CDRS-R showed good psychometrical properties. Internal consistency for the CDRS-R was high. CDRS-R total score was significantly correlated with CDI both in nonclinical and clinical sample. There was a significant concordance with the reference standard of ICD-10 diagnosis.

Content and Application of Duty of Care Principle in the Field of Administrative Law in Latvia

The article addresses the principle of duty of care, which is identified as one of the principles of the European Union’s administrative process. First of all, the use of term ‘duty of care’ in Latvian language is analysed and shortcomings identified. The content of the duty of care principle in relation to the principle of good administration and the non-contractual liability of the state is further clarified. The article also touches upon the question of the immunity of the authorities to liability for non-compliance with the duty of care.

The Equivalence Problem in the Parallel Dictionaries of the 17th Century

[full article and abstract in Lithuanian; abstract in English]
 This paper deals with the parallel dictionaries of the 17th century Minor Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Latvia: the anonymous manuscript Lexicon Lithuanicum (late 17th century) and Georg Mancelis’s Lettus (1638) as well as Konstantinas Sirvydas’s Dictionarium trium lingvarum (1642) and Georg Elger’s Dictionarium Polono-Latino-Lottauicum (1683). Two bilingual German-Lithuanian resp. Latvian language and two trilingual Polish-Latin-Lithuanian resp. Latvian language dictionaries were chosen for the research.
 The aim of this study is to investigate the equivalence of Lithuanian and Latvian correspondences in the parallel dictionaries of the 17th century, i.e., to reveal how the meaning of the headword (compound word) is reflected in each different language. In order to achieve this aim, the paper identifies what kinds of equivalents (derivatives, adapted loanwords, periphery) are chosen – in other words, the attention is drawn to the formal expression of equivalence. If the number of equivalents is increased, the systematic relations among them are investigated (loanword – native word, neologism – descriptive compound, several synonyms etc.).
 Next, the types of equivalents are defined according to their revealed semantic content: the equivalents corresponding or partially corresponding to the meaning as well as the equivalents that only explain the concept expressed by the word of the main language. The semantic content of the equivalents is analyzed based on thematic groups: (a) the names of persons; (b) the names of things; (c) the names of animals and plants; (d) place names; (e) names for a specific period of time; (f) food names; (g) the names of diseases. Later on, the influence of the headwords (German, Polish) on the correspondences of Lithuanian and Latvian is studied. The following step is to analyze the similarities and differences between the Lithuanian and Latvian equivalents in the parallel dictionaries when the same headwords or phrases are translated from German and Polish. It is quite clear that both the established loanwords and neologisms are chosen as equivalents in the researched dictionaries. Once the loanword has become established, it is taken as an equivalent and is regarded as the most relevant indicator of meaning. When a new reality and its translation are not known, a neologism is being created, the synonyms of the wider meaning are given or the meaning is described in a descriptive way. Foreign realities are often translated in a descriptive way by distinguishing an important semantic attribute. Lexicographers perceived the multiplicity of word meaning but did not always provide formal indicators.