"Užupis Citadel", "Antakalnio panorama", "Tarandės vartai", "Valakampių krantas", "Verkių sodas", "Bajorų lajos", "Center residence", "Gurelių slėnis" are the names of new residential quarters and buildings in Vilnius. What can be said about these names, how do they manage to take root in the linguistic landscape of the capital?
Interview with Rita Urnėžiūtė, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Gimtoji kalba".
Rita Urnėžiūtė. Many names of new residential quarters and building complexes in Vilnius show the intelligence and creativity of their creators. Often, when searching for a name for a building or a residential area, a metaphor is used - the characteristics of one object or phenomenon are attributed to another. For example, "Namų pynės" - the name of this housing complex, which is being built on Tuskulėnai Street, on the site of a former bakery, evokes associations with the names of baked goods "pynė", "pynutė". The household names "Ajeras", "Linas", "Sunflower", "Poppy", "Muskat", "Almond" are clearly related to baking spices.
In order to interest potential buyers, it is usually not enough to just create the name of the block or building. The philosophy of the project is being developed, and the advertising campaign is being developed. The already mentioned "Namų braids" is presented as follows: "A new settlement in the capital, on Tuskulėnai street, woven from seven apartment buildings, in a special, bread-smelling place in Vilnius."
If you decide to fundamentally change your life, you should probably move to the "Baltas lapas" residential block, which is being developed in New City between Šaltinės, Mindaugas and Popuņi streets: "A white leaf marks a new beginning. A state where the head becomes clear and the thoughts are bright and clear. This is the starting point from which change begins. Large or smaller. But always with a promise - from now on it will be different." The metaphor of the white sheet not only invites to the future, but also marks a connection with the past: the block is being built on the territory of the former "Kartonos" factory.
The poetic names of the new quarters sound beautiful. But is that poetry comfortable in everyday life? How to find out in which part of the city the new quarter or complex is located?
Perhaps, as if anticipating such a question, two-word names with Vilnius place names are very often created: "Antakalnis panorama", "Naujamieštis aleja", "Virkių sodas", "Tarandės vartai", "Baltupio krantas", "Užupio citadel", etc. the words of such names are "panorama", "alley", "terraces", "valley", "shore".
Names with the word "dominia" are on the rise. Dominion is a possession with a certain independence, a territory independent of the king or any other noble, semi-state. In the names of new buildings in Vilnius, the word "dominija" is often added to the names of old villages: "Bajorų dominija" - an apartment block in Santariškės, on Mokslininkų street, "Grigalaukios dominija" - residential houses between Pašilaičiai and Western Bypass, "Turniškių dominija" - residential houses in Turniškės.
I would think that compounds with place names are to be commended for their precise geographical reference - when you hear them, you don't have to wonder where to find that house or residential area.
In addition, such names give new life to the names of villages: "Bajorų lajos", "Bajorų parkas", "Bajorų alėyes", "Gurelių slėnis", "Kalnėnai panorama", "Tarandės vartai", to the names of natural objects: "Neries ardai", "Vilnelės slėnis", "Baltupias krantas", "Ozo gardens". The latter name is distinguished by the variety of possible associations. For some "oz" - a geological natural monument, a mound-shaped ridge located in Šeškina. For others, "Ozas", a shopping center located in Šeškina, is more important. It is precisely the shopping center that is emphasized by the creators of the "Ozo Gardens" advertisement: first of all, it is stated that "Ozo Gardens" is very close to the Oz Shopping Center and only then Oz is mentioned as a geological natural object. It is played with the consonance of the words: "Oz is an oasis of peace".
There are interesting variations on the theme of the former or current name of the village, for example "Visinoriai" - a residential house in Visoriai. The advertising slogan of the block is "Everyone wants to live like this". "Visinoria" is a reworking of "Visorių", the name of the part of the city, derived from the name of the village.
A similar example is the name "Būk chia" of the block near Bukčiai forest in Lazdynėliai. Advertisers play on behalf of Bukčiai forest: "Be here." In the district. be here In the forest. be here In the yard. be here At home." Each sentence explains why this area is good and comfortable to live in, and why you should buy an apartment here.
Among the names of the new quarters or complexes there are compounds with the names of historical objects in Vilnius, for example "Pilies apartamentai". The houses in this block of flats on Olimpiečių street are named Algirdas, Vytautas, Mindaugas, Gediminas, Barboras apartments. Chic, obviously aimed at affluent property buyers.
There is a strong tendency to create block names with the names of Vilnius streets - "Bičiulių terrasos" in Paneriai, Bičiulių street, "Eglių namai" in Naujamiestis, Eglių street, "Gvazdikių namai" in Antakalni, Gvazdikiu Street, "Kernavės Avenue" in Šnipiškės, Kernavės Street, "Mickevičius House" In Pilaite, A. Mickevičiaus street, "Sietyno butai" in Karoliniškės, Sietyno street, "Trinapolios namai" in Verkiai, Trinapolios street, "Vakarinės namai" in Gineitiškės, Vakarinė street. Two positive things - firstly, it is easy to find, secondly - the layer of historical place names, which are named after the streets of some districts, is actualized and put into active use. For example, the names of Pilaitė streets related to Little Lithuania encourage the creation of new quarter names "Karaliaučius slėnis", "Bitėnai cottages", "Bitėnai oasis".
There are compounds with place names from other countries - residential houses named "Valakampių Rivjera" in Valakampii, "Naujjaja Rivjera" - residential houses between Sporto and Olimpiečiai streets. Maybe it is believed that the coast of Neris named like that is equivalent to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea?
There are many compounds with direct addresses: "Goštauto 8" - business center on A. Goštauto street, "Sierakausko 25" - Naujamiestis, Z. Sierakausko street, "Vileišio 10B", Antakalny, P. Vileišio street. Is it good to be called only by the last name, or do you really no longer need Albert with the Goštaut surname, Peter with Vileišis, and Zigmo with Sierakauskas?
When creating the names of new buildings, sometimes only the first letter of the street name and the house number are left from the direct address: "B23" is a residential block on Birželios 23-ioisios street, "D19" on Dagiliškių street in Tarande. And if, let's say, another builder builds some "B21" on Birutė street or "D17" on Dainava street? Confusion guaranteed.
Today, we can no longer imagine life without the English language, in the form of brands, it is more and more persistently making its way into the linguistic landscape of Vilnius. How is it in other countries and what do linguists say about it?
RU Swedish linguist, place names specialist, member of the commission that evaluates Stockholm place names, prof. Last year, Staffan Nyström spoke about two trends observed in Stockholm at the international scientific conference "Real words in space and space in real words" organized by the Lithuanian Language Institute. One is based on the desire to preserve a private, rustic, cozy environment. Then the builders of the new quarters in Stockholm choose words that mean "house", "street" - diminutive, rustic designations. Another trend is megalopolis-specific, mostly English names - with "city", "center", "polis" and the like.
The spirit of a megapolis is no stranger to Vilnius: "Lucky Homes" in Naujamiestis, Gerosios Vilties St., "Live Square" Gediminas Ave., "Sofa House" in Pilaite, Pakarvius St., "Light House" in Fabijoniškių St., "Amber City" in Pashilaičiai, Virbeliškiaus g., "Basteja Life" In the old town.
What does this say about us? A better understanding would be helped by more serious research on the linguistic landscape. A linguistic landscape is the languages that appear on public signs and commercial signs of a given territory or region. Elements of the linguistic landscape – signs, inscriptions on public buildings, notice boards, road signs, pointers, street signs, shop windows, street stands, inscriptions on monuments. Inscriptions presented in the most diverse form are studied - carved, hung, sprayed, glued, written on advertising flags, etc. Linguistic landscape studies include even the virtual environment - advertisements from real estate agencies, websites of construction companies, and the like. According to the Belgian sociolinguist Jan Blommaert, linguistic landscape analysis is the first diagnosis that describes the linguistic condition of a certain territory - a street, a village, a building, a country, even a virtual environment. Studies of the linguistic landscape help to determine the dominance of languages and the prestige of languages, the state of multilingualism.
There are interesting studies of the linguistic landscape that show how each of the languages spoken is valued. For example, ads offer new expensive cars in one language and well-used cars in another. Or, say, the use of elements of an implicitly prestigious language in a public record is not because it cannot be said in a less prestigious language. The goal of the author of the note is to create a certain image of himself, to arouse the addressee's reaction.
In other words, the names of the new housing estates or housing complexes provide a lot of material for linguistic landscape research.
In order to nurture and protect the Lithuanian language, it would be better to have as many Lithuanian landscape elements as possible. Perhaps, in order to encourage the creation of Lithuanian names, elections should be organized for the most successful name created to name buildings, businesses, and shopping centers?
RU There would certainly be candidates to participate in such elections. Lithuanian Language Association with the State Language Inspectorate in 2018. conducted a survey throughout Lithuania at the end. We contacted the language managers of cities and districts, we asked for information on the names of new residential areas, buildings, and business centers. Several volunteer assistants helped to collect the material. At the end of the survey, we had about 300 names on our list. We realized that the list will never be complete, there are always things to add to it. OK - so we're betting a lot. Another question is whether we always build legally (this aspect of Vilnius construction is a painful topic) and what do we call those structures.
The State Language Inspectorate annually collects and awards creators of the most beautiful company names. Perhaps the creators of new building or block names could be rewarded in a similar way?
Thank you for conversation.
Aurika Usonienė spoke
