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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