| “ | Anyone wishing to hear how Indo-Europeans spoke should come and listen to a Lithuanian peasant. | ” |
| — Antoine Meillet | ||
Like many languages, this 4,000 year old language does have some quirkiness, but follow some basic rules, the beauty and poetic nature of the words open up minute details in describing your world.
Lithuanian (Lithuanian: lietuvių kalba) is a Baltic language spoken in the Baltic region. It is the language of Lithuanians and the official language of Lithuania as well as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 3 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 200,000 abroad.
As a Baltic language, Lithuanian is closely related to neighbouring Latvian and more distantly to Slavic, Germanic and other Indo-European languages. It is written in a Latin alphabet. Lithuanian is often said to be the most conservative living Indo-European language, retaining many features of Proto-Indo-European now lost in other languages.
Online lessons
Getting used to pronounce words out loud, numbers for exemple, is an easy exercise that you can practice often and at anytime throughout the day.
It will help you to get used to the sounds of your chosen language and thus make it more familiar.
And once your holidays have begun, in Vilnius, in Kaunas or elsewhere in Lithuania, you will be surprised how familiar and easy to understand it will seem.
Furthermore, using a pocket dictionary is always useful, particularly during a trip. It enables you to find the translation of new words and enrich your vocabulary.
Even beginners can learn Lithuanian efficiently with the practical sentences in book2.
Video links for learners
