Lithuania
波罗的海国家,来自立陶宛语 Lietuva,一个未知起源的名称,可能来自与拉丁语 litus “海岸”(见 littoral)相关的 PIE 来源,因此意为“海岸地区”。相关: Lithuanian(约1600年作为名词)。康德,出生在附近的科尼斯堡,是第一个注意到其语言纯洁性的人; 它保留了许多古代印欧语言的特征,根据“美洲百科全书”(1919年),“立陶宛农民可以理解由学者发音的梵文句子”。
[T]he Lithuanian language is remarkable for its great beauty. It has more endearing terms than the Spanish, the Italian or the Russian. If the value of a nation in the whole of humanity were to be measured by the beauty and purity of its language, the Lithuanians would rank first among the nations of Europe. [Elisee Reclus, "Geographie Universelle," 1875]
“立陶宛语因其极大的美丽而著称。它拥有比西班牙语、意大利语或俄语更多的亲切用语。如果一个国家在整个人类中的价值要通过其语言的美丽和纯洁来衡量,那么立陶宛人将在欧洲国家中排名第一。”[埃利塞·勒克卢斯,《"Geographie Universelle," 1875]