Minint žodynininkės Zitos Virginijos Šimėnaitės (1950–2016) 70-ąsias gimimo metines

GERTRŪDA NAKTINIENĖ, AURELIJA GRITĖNIENĖ Institute of the Lithuanian Language COMMEMORATING THE 70TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF LEXICOGRAPHER ZITA VIRGINIJA ŠIMĖNAITĖ (1950–2016) Today I will send my heart out for a walk. I’m not going. I’m not going anywhere... Justinas Marcinkevičius Photograph by Pranas Vasiliauskas This year, 2020, lexicographer Zita Virginija Šimėnaitė would have turned 70 on October 14. Sister Death embraced her on August 1, 2016. To this day, colleagues remember with special warmth the petite, slender, always stylish Zitelė (this diminutive suited her very well). She knew how to bring lexicographers together; she was a chronicler of lexicography and lexicographers, and a compiler, editor, and preparer of dictionaries, other books, and bibliographies. Zita was an aesthete, a beautiful, emotional, and very sensitive person, focused on essential matters and the most important values. Zita Šimėnaitė was born in 1950 in the town of Šakiai. In 1969 she graduated from Kretinga Secondary School, and in 1974 from Vilnius University (specialization: Lithuanian language and literature). In 1973 she began working in the Dictionary Department of the Institute of Lithuanian Language and Literature of the Academy of Sciences (now the Institute of the Lithuanian Language). In 1973 she was a senior laboratory assistant; from 1974 to 1991, a junior research associate; from 1991 to 2012, a research associate; and from 2012, a senior research associate. From 2005 to 2014, she headed the then Lexicography Centre of the Institute of the Lithuanian Language. BENDRINĖ KALBA 93 (2020) http://journals.lki.lt/bendrinekalba ISSN 2351-7204 GERTRŪDA NAKTINIENĖ, AURELIJA GRITĖNIENĖ. Minint žodynininkės Zitos Virginijos Šimėnaitės (1950–2016) 70-ąsias gimimo metines | 2 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2020.93.04 As for many other lexicographers at the Institute of the Lithuanian Language (hereafter, the Institute), compiling the major Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language (hereafter, LKŽ) was the work of her lifetime. Together with other lexicographers, she wrote the text for volumes XII–XVIII of the LKŽ (1981–1997). She edited the text for volumes XVII–XX (1996–2002), was a member of the editorial board for volume XVII, and prepared an electronic version of the dictionary (2005; updated versions in 2008 and 2018, see www.lkz.lt) as well as a second electronic edition (2013), for which she was also a member of the editorial board. In all, Zita Šimėnaitė wrote about 740 pages (more than 70 author’s sheets) of the main LKŽ text, comprising short and long dictionary entries. These included inherited Baltic and Lithuanian words, old and more recent borrowings, and words arising from the creativity and needs of the people, which had become rooted in our consciousness and lives. Among the words Zita described were polysemous words essential to Lithuanian life: širdis, vaikas, tamsa, tankus, trūkti, vaikščioti, vainikas, and others, rich in metaphors, similes, proverbs, and idioms. Entries for such words, with their vivid sentences drawn from living speech, can be read as works of art. Together with fellow linguists, she prepared the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language for Learners (2000; 2nd revised edition, 2010) and the Dictionary of Idioms (2001), and contributed to the writing of the Dictionary of Standard Lithuanian http://bkz.lki.lt) texts. For the Dictionary of Idioms, she and her coauthors received the Lithuanian Science Prize in 2002; in the same year, she and others also received a commendation from the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for their contribution to the major Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language. A working group led by Zita Šimėnaitė, following guidelines developed by her and Danutė Liutkevičienė, prepared the seventh revised and expanded edition of the Dictionary of Contemporary Lithuanian (editor-in-chief Stasys Keinys, 2012). Together with colleagues, she also contributed to work on Endre Bojtár’s Lithuanian–Hungarian Dictionary (2007). An experienced dictionary compiler, she was particularly fascinated by one of the words she herself had written for the LKŽ: the noun širdis, which has 23 meanings and numerous idioms, as well as extensive derivational connections. This lexicographic work gave rise to a theoretical topic. Zita Šimėnaitė prepared and defended her doctoral dissertation in 2003, entitled “The Semantics and Derivation of a Polysemous Word (The Microsystem of the Noun širdis).” The dissertation and the articles she wrote on the subject—“The Semantics of the Noun širdis” (Lietuvių kalbotyros klausimai 37, 1997, 62–87), “Derivatives of the Noun širdis” (Lietuvių kalbotyros klausimai 35, 1995, 148–168), and “The Semantics of Idioms Containing the Noun širdis” (Leksikografijos ir leksikologijos problemos, 2003, 225–252)—can be regarded as examples of comprehensive research on a polysemous word. While collecting language data, the lexicographer took part in more than ten expeditions to various parts of Lithuania. For the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language’s card index, she recorded about 10,000 dialectal BENDRINĖ KALBA 93 (2020) http://journals.lki.lt/bendrinekalba ISSN 2351-7204 GERTRŪDA NAKTINĖNIENĖ, AURELIJA GRITĖNIENĖ. Minint žodynininkės Zitos Virginijos Šimenaitės (1950–2016) 70-ąsias gimimo metines | 3 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2020.93.04 žodžių. Papildymų kartotekoje rasime jos užrašytų kortelių iš Dubičių (1971), Skaistgirio ir Žagarės (1975), Daūgų (1979), Kråžių (1981), Kavársko (1983), Palėvenės (1986), Seinų (1989), Grūšlaukio (1990), Šalako (1991), Kuktiškių (1991, 1993, 1996), Vajasiškio (1991, 1993, 1994), Salantų (1994), Iñturkės (1995, 1996). Retesnį, įdomesnį žodį, gražesnį pasakymą ji gaudydavo ir darbe. Nemažai kortelių užrašė iš žodingosios LKŽ kartotekų tvarkytojos švenčioniškės Elenos Ažusienienės (1931–2013), su kuria Institute tam tikrą laiką darbavosi viename kambaryje. Žodžius rinko ir iš rašytinių šaltinių: periodinės spaudos, Antano Vaičiulaičio, Romualdo Granausko ir kitų rašytojų raštų. FIG. 1. Cards Zita Šimėnaitė recorded in various parts of Lithuania for the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language Zita was especially interested in the Eastern Aukštaitian dialect of the Molėtai region. She wrote down many cards from her grandmother Zofija Siminkevičienė (1901–1984), who spoke the Alanta vernacular well. Zita’s summers and weekends passed in the village of Pasuojė, where her aunt Valerija Kazakevičienė (1925–2012) was also close at hand. Zita also recorded more than a thousand cards for the dictionary from her. Having amassed many audio recordings of Alanta residents’ stories, she began preparing a collection of dialect texts in this vernacular, with commentaries, for publication: Alanta Speakers: Dialect Texts. In 2001 she organized a lexicographers’ expedition to Alanta. It is a pity that, owing to the abundance of other work and later to her deteriorating health, she never managed to prepare these texts fully for publication. BENDRINĖ KALBA 93 (2020) http://journals.lki.lt/bendrinekalba ISSN 2351-7204 GERTRŪDA NAKTINIENĖ, AURELIJA GRITĖNIENĖ. Commemorating the 70th birth anniversary of lexicographer Zita Virginija Šimėnaitė (1950–2016) | 4 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2020.93.04 In scholarly publications, the lexicographer published articles on issues of lexicon, phraseology, phraseography, and lexicography. FIG. 2. First page of the manuscript of Zita Šimėnaitė’s article for issue 59 of Kalbos kultūra, with editorial corrections by the publication’s editor, Pranas Kniūkšta She participated in international conferences and seminars in Vilnius, Grodno, Kaliningrad, Ostromece, and Riga. In various respects, she researched the lexicographic sources of the LKŽ and the work of lexicographers Jonas Kruopas and Antanas Lyberis. She was interested in the links between Lithuanian and Polish lexicography, a subject BENDRINĖ KALBA 93 (2020) http://journals.lki.lt/bendrinekalba ISSN 2351-7204 GERTRŪDA NAKTINĖNĖ, AURELIJA GRITĖNIENĖ. Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the birth of lexicographer Zita Virginija Šimėnaitė (1950–2016) | 5 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2020.93.04 prepared articles (see, for example: Związki leksykografii polskiej i litewskiej, Językowe i kulturowe dziedzictwo Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego. Bydgoszcz, 2010, 158–166). The scholar worked on various linguistic projects, leading several of them. These included the projects “Expressions of Lithuanian Spiritual Culture: A Compendium of Electronic Sources in Ethnology, Language, and History” (RaSa, www.aruodai.lt, 2003–2006), “Compilation of the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language card index” (2006), “Compilation of the Lexical Heritage of Uninvestigated Dialects” (2007, project leader), “Preparation of an Electronic Version of the Card Index for Kazimieras Būga’s Etymological Dictionary” (2007–2008, project leader), “Preparation and Implementation of the Brain Gain Programme” (2008, coordinator), “Compilation and Scholarly Study of Lexical and Audio Data from Little-Studied Dialects” (2009–2010), “Konstantinas Sirvydas – a Pioneer of Lithuanian Lexicography” (2012, project leader), and “The Works of Konstantinas Sirvydas and His Era” (2013, project leader). She supervised students participating in the Research Practice for Students project of the Research Council of Lithuania (2006–2008). She coordinated the work on “Digitization of the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language card index” and “Digitization of Monolingual Lithuanian Dictionaries” (2012–2015), carried out under the investment project “Development of ICT solutions and content to help preserve the Lithuanian language in the public sphere, and provision of access to them,” within the programme “The Lithuanian Language in the Information Society.” She contributed especially much to developing the concept for the latter project. She was also involved in international projects. In 2012 she led the project “Lithuanian Studies in Hungary” (two major tasks were completed: A. Sabaliauskas’s book Mes baltai was translated into Hungarian, prepared for publication, and published; a Lithuanian language textbook for Hungarian-speaking students, Susitikimai su Lietuva, was prepared, authored by Aranka LaczHázi). In 2013 she collaborated on the EUROPHRAS (European Phraseology Association) project “Widespread Idioms in Europe and Beyond.” In 2013–2014 she led the project “Compilation of a Belarusian–Lithuanian Dictionary” (http://bylt.lki.lt). Sudarė lietuvių kalbos frazeologijos literatūros (1956–1997) rodyklę (1998), kalbininkų Kazimiero Eigmino (Homo sum: žodžiai Kazimierui Eigminui, Vilnius, 1998, 283–294), Sofijos Kėzytės (1999), Kazio Pakalkos (2000), Irenos Erm anytės (2007), Klementinos Vosylytės (2008), Aldono Pupkio (2008, su A. Pupkiu), Antano Lyberio (Antanas Lyberis. Leksikografijos teorija ir praktika, 2009, 410–422) bibliografijos rodykles, pirmojo žodynininko Konstantino Sirvydo bibliografiją (1960–2013) (Leksikografija ir leksikologija 3, 2013, 387–405). Pataisė ir papildė Vytauto Vitkausko bibliografijos rodyklės antrą leidimą (2005), redagavo Antano Balašaičio (2011) bibliografijos rodyklę. BENDRINĖ KALBA 93 (2020) http://journals.lki.lt/bendrinekalba ISSN 2351-7204 GERTRŪDA NAKTINIENĖ, AURELIJA GRITĖNIENĖ. Minint žodynininkės Zitos Virginijos Šimėnaitės (1950–2016) 70-ąsias gimimo metines | 6 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2020.93.04 Sudarė leidinius Dvidešimt Lietuvių kalbos žodyno tomų (2002, su J. Zabarskaite), Antanas Lyberis. Leksikografijos teorija ir praktika (2009, leidinio mokslinė redaktorė), Leksikografija ir leksikologija. Konstantino Sirvydo darbai ir jo epocha (2013, straipsnių rinkinio vyriausioji redaktorė). Buvo rinkinio Leksikografija ir leksikologija 2 vyriausioji redaktorė (2010), Gimtosios kalbos žurnalo konsultantų grupės narė. Simboliška, kad paskutinis jos redaguotas veikalas buvo A. Pupkio monografija Juozas Balčikonis ir didysis Lietuvių kalbos žodynas (2013). In 2002, much effort was devoted to the documentary film “The European Dinosaur.” To make this film about the Lithuanian language and the great Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language, a work of great importance to Lithuanian linguistics and culture (director Vitalija Steponavičiūtė, screenwriter Albertas Žostautas, cinematographer Algimantas Liutkevičius), she travelled with the creative team around the Molėtai area (the villages of Avižliai, Antaliežiai, and Pasuojė), interviewed informants, shared creative ideas, and later helped organize the film’s presentation at Alanta Manor and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language. She also advised the creative team of the film “Being in Language” (2005) (director Juozas Javaitis, screenwriter Elena Jolanta Zabarskaitė, cinematographer Donatas Buklys). Zita Šimėnaitė worked very hard and took great care to ensure that the book Atsiminimai apie Vytautą Vitkauską (2015) would be prepared. After the book was published, she urged people not to forget the other lexicographers who had worked for many years, nor the history of the great LKŽ. She cherished those around her and made sure to visit former colleagues who were no longer working, or at least to call them. Many of us also remember Zita as an excellent photographer. She loved photographing people, animals, landscapes, flowers... FIG. 3. Photograph of Zita Šimėnaitė, taken in 2012 at friends’ homestead in Zarasai District BENDRINĖ KALBA 93 (2020) http://journals.lki.lt/bendrinekalba ISSN 2351-7204 GERTRŪDA NAKTINIENĖ, AURELIJA GRITĖNIENĖ. Minint žodynininkės Zitos Virginijos Šimėnaitės (1950–2016) 70-ąsias gimimo metines | 7 doi.org/10.35321/bkalba.2020.93.04 For many years, she collected old and new photographs of colleagues taken by various photographers and added them to the album compiled by former colleagues. In the spring of 2014, she organized an exhibition of photographs of the Institute’s former and current lexicographers, “From the Lexicographers’ Album.” Colleagues also remember the exhibition of rowan-tree photographs Zita had taken herself, which she organized in the library foyer. It is therefore symbolic that this year, as we mark the 70th anniversary of Zita Šimėnaitė’s birth, we are opening an exhibition of her work and photographs in the Institute library. May it remind us of Zita’s big heart and love of life. Received 2020 10 08 GERTRŪDA NAKTINIENĖ AURELIJA GRITĖNIENĖ Institute of the Lithuanian Language Petro Vileišio g. 5, LT-10308 Vilnius [email protected] [email protected] BENDRINĖ KALBA 93 (2020) http://journals.lki.lt/bendrinekalba ISSN 2351-7204