# Lietuva
## Latvian
### Etymology

From the same stem as leitis (“Lithuanian”) (q.v.): *leit-, from which also liet (“to pour”), lietus (“rain”)) (q.v.). First mentioned in Annals of Quedlinburg as (Litua, from an earlier *Lētuvā, apparently from *leit- with a suffix (perhaps +‎ -uve). Cognates include Lithuanian Lietuvà. More information at Name of Lithuania.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈliɛtuva/
* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

Lietuva f (4th declension)
* Lithuania (a country in northeastern Europe; official name: Lietuvas Republika)
    Lietuvas karogs ― the flag of Lithuania
    Lietuvas teritorija ― the territory of Lithuania
    Lietuva ir valsts Baltijas jūras austrumu krastā ― Lithuania is a country on the eastern coast of the Baltic sea

#### Related terms

* leitis, leitiete
* lietuvietis, lietuviete
* lietuvis, lietuve
* lietuvisks
* lietuviešu valoda, leišu valoda

### See also

* Albānija
* Andora
* Apvienotā Karaliste
* Armēnija
* Austrija
* Azerbaidžāna
* Baltkrievija
* Beļģija
* Bosnija un Hercegovina
* Bulgārija
* Čehija
* Dānija
* Francija
* Grieķija
* Gruzija
* Horvātija
* Igaunija
* Islande ~ Īslande
* Itālija
* Īrija
* Kazahstāna
* Kipra
* Kosova
* Krievija
* Latvija
* Lietuva
* Lihtenšteina
* Luksemburga
* Malta
* Melnkalne
* Moldova
* Monako
* Nīderlande
* Norvēģija
* Polija
* Portugāle
* Rumānija
* Sanmarīno
* Serbija
* Slovākija
* Slovēnija
* Somija
* Spānija
* Šveice
* Turcija
* Ukraina
* Ungārija
* Vatikāns
* Vācija
* Ziemeļmaķedonija
* Zviedrija

### References

* ↑ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “lietuvieši”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca‎ (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN

## Lithuanian
### Etymology

From an earlier *Lētuvā, possibly from an earlier *Lietā or *Lētā with the suffix +‎ -uva, denoting a region (see Sūduva, *Jotuva (“region of the Yotvingians”)).
Further etymology uncertain and debated, with several proposed etymologies:
* Most commonly, believed to have originated from the rivulet Lietauka from Old Lithuanian *Lietavà. Its etymology is unclear, but the root liet- likely comes from Proto-Balto-Slavic *l(e/o)ʔi-, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *ley- (“to flow, pour, stream; to glide, slip, be slippery”), and is cognate with lietus (“rain”), lieti (“to pour”). It is an 11-kilometer-long rivulet in central Lithuania. According to Kazimieras Kuzavinis, this rivulet may have given its name to the surrounding territory, which includes nearby Kernavė, a medieval capital of Lithuania, and gradually expanded to become a name for the medieval Lithuanian state.
* According to Jan Otrębski, from an old name of the Neman river, *Leitā, attested in Alytus, from Old Lithuanian *Leitā (“city on the Leita river”).
* According to Simas Karaliūnas, from Old Lithuanian *lietā (“army, armed force”), from lieti (“to cast metal”), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *ley- (“to flow, pour”).
* According to Artūras Dubonis, from leitis (“member of a social group in service of the monarch in Medieval Lithuania”).
Popular etymologies connect it with lietus (“rain”).
Compare Samogitian Lietova.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /lʲiətʊˈvɐ/
* This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

### Proper noun

Lietuvà f (uncountable, related adjective lietùviškas, demonym lietùvis, female demonym lietùvė) stress pattern 3a
* Lithuania (a country in northeastern Europe; official name: Lietuvõs Respùblika)

#### Derived terms

* Didžióji Lietuvà
* lietuvýbė
* lietùvininkas
* LR
* Mažóji Lietuvà

#### Related terms

* lietuviakal̃bis
* lietuvė́ti
* lietùvinti
* sulietuvė́ti
* sulietùvinti
* dìdlietuvis
* jaunalietvùis
* lietuviakal̃bis
* lietuváitis
* mãžlietuvis
* naujãlietuvis

#### Descendants

* → Georgian: ლიეტუვა (lieṭuva)

#### See also

* lituanìstas
* lituanìstika
* lituanìstinis
* lituanìzmas
* lituãnika
* Airija
* Albanija
* Andora
* Armėnija
* Austrija
* Azerbaidžanas
* Baltarusija
* Belgija
* Bosnija ir Hercegovina
* Bulgarija
* Čekija
* Danija
* Estija
* Graikija
* Gruzija
* Gudija
* Islandija
* Ispanija
* Italija
* Jungtinė Karalystė
* Juodkalnija
* Kazachstanas
* Kipras
* Kosovas
* Kroatija
* Latvija
* Lenkija
* Lichtenšteinas
* Lietuva
* Liuksemburgas
* Makedonija
* Malta
* Moldavija
* Monakas
* Nyderlandai
* Norvegija
* Portugalija
* Prancūzija
* Rumunija
* Rusija
* San Marinas
* Serbija
* Slovakija
* Slovėnija
* Suomija
* Švedija
* Šveicarija
* Turkija
* Ukraina
* Vatikanas
* Vengrija
* Vokietija

### Further reading

* Lietuvos vardas (Name of Lithuania) in Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia)
* Kuzavinis K., Lietuvos vardo kilmė // Lietuvos TSR aukštųjų mokyklų darbai. Kalbotyra, t. 10 (1964), p. 5−18, t. 17 (1967), p. 135−137.
* Dubonis, Artūras (1998). Lietuvos didžiojo kunigaikščio leičiai: iš Lietuvos ankstyvųjų valstybinių struktūrų praeities (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Lietuvos istorijos instituto leidykla. p. 15.

## Northern Sami
### Pronunciation

* (Kautokeino) IPA: /ˈlie̯tuːva/

### Proper noun

Lietuva
* Lithuania (a country in northeastern Europe)

#### Further reading

* Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎, Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland