Lietuvių kalbos savitumas ir Vakarų kalbos

Abstract

This article deals with the lexical impact of Western languages on the uni queness of the Lithuanian language and on the Lithuanian ethnic culture. The data for this research was collected mainly from the periodical publications and other written sources such as advertising leaflets, handbills, promotional materials, etc. Some material was also taken from radio and television pro grammes and from the speech of university teachers and students. The analysis of the collected data indicates that native Lithuanian lexical items are constantly being ousted by vocabulary items of other languages. The vocabulary of Lithuanian is going into gradual decline. This process stifles the creativity of the native tongue by replacing some word-formation models and ways with foreign ones. Serious harm is done to the stability, purity and ex pressiveness of Lithuanian, often leading to negative consequences with re gard to correctness and precision. Foreign language constructions interfere with the Lithuanian ethnic culture, its linguistic etiquette and with the Lithua nian national self-expression in general.