LAIMUTIS TELKSNYS

Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Vilnius University

WRITTEN AND SPOKEN LITHUANIAN IN TRADITIONAL AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA

KEYWORDS: native language, language equality, digital age, writing, speech.

The article discusses the status of the Lithuanian language in a rapidly changing, modernizing world of more than 7 billion people, drawing attention to the fact that Lithuanian is a non-commercial language used by only a few million people. It presents suggestions on what we must do to ensure that written and spoken Lithuanian continues to thrive confidently and robustly in the future, both in paper documents and in electronic media.

Status

People communicate directly or (and) via the internet, speaking various languages and using various writing systems: Latin, Arabic, Cyrillic, hieroglyphs, and writing systems of other languages. It is significant that the human community is being augmented by rapidly spreading smart machines—robots, cars, smart devices—with which we will converse as we work.

The European Parliament also emphasizes the importance of language equality in its latest studies from 2017 (cf. Language Equality in the Digital Age 2017. 1–116; Language equality in the digital age2017.1–165). The question arises: what should we, the few million Lithuanians whose language is non-commercial, do so that we do not disappear into the ocean of more than 7 billion people who write and speak, and of the smart machines to come?

Concept

We must ensure that written Lithuanian in paper documents and electronic media is recorded using the letters of the Lithuanian alphabet, and that the sounds of spoken language are represented by the correct sounds of spoken Lithuanian.

BENDRINĖ KALBA 90 (2017)

www.bendrinekalba.lt

ISSN 2351-7204

LAIMUTIS TELKSNYS. Rašytinė ir sakytinė lietuvių kalba įprastoje ir elektroninėje terpėse | 2

Vision

Written and spoken Lithuanian is used in paper documents and electronic media in accordance with the spelling and pronunciation rules of the Lithuanian language.

Objective

Ensure the correct use of written and spoken Lithuanian in paper documents and electronic media.

Tasks

1. Create transcribers to represent non-Lithuanian written-language characters using Lithuanian written-language characters, as shown in Figure 1.

FIG. 1. Transcriber for representing non-Lithuanian written-language characters using Lithuanian written-language characters

2. Create transcribers to render non-Lithuanian speech sounds using spoken-Lithuanian symbols suitable for the automatic synthesis of the sounds of Lithuanian speech words, as shown in Figure 2.

BENDRINĖ KALBA 90 (2017)

www.bendrinekalba.lt

ISSN 2351-7204

LAIMUTIS TELKSNYS. Rašytinė ir sakytinė lietuvių kalba įprastoje ir elektroninėje terpėse | 3

FIG. 2. A transcriber for rendering the sounds of non-Lithuanian spoken language using the signs of spoken Lithuanian, suitable for the automatic synthesis of the sounds of spoken Lithuanian words

3. Ensure that non-Lithuanian personal names and place names are written using both Lithuanian and original-language characters in electronic Lithuanian data repositories.

4. Ensure that the spoken pronunciation of non-Lithuanian personal names and place names in electronic Lithuanian data repositories is provided through audio recordings made by pronouncing Lithuanian speech sounds, as well as through audio recordings in the original language.

5. Ensure that dialogue with information technology devices (computers, phones, wearable computing equipment, smart watches, objects, robots) takes place in correct written and spoken Lithuanian.

Work

Methods and tools—hardware and software—must be developed to ensure the correct use of written and spoken Lithuanian in paper documents and electronic environments, and to coordinate the use of written and spoken Lithuanian and other languages in paper documents and electronic environments.

BENDRINĖ KALBA 90 (2017) www.bendrinekalba.lt ISSN 2351-7204

LAIMUTIS TELKSNYS. Rašytinė ir sakytinė lietuvių kalba įprastoje ir elektroninėje terpėse | 4

Transcribers must be developed to render the characters of non-Lithuanian written languages using Lithuanian written-language characters, and the sounds of non-Lithuanian spoken languages using the signs of spoken Lithuanian, suitable for the automatic synthesis of the sounds of spoken Lithuanian words.

Result

Upon completion of this work, it will be ensured that:

- dialogue between Lithuanian-speaking people and smart information technology devices (phones, tablets, wearable computing equipment, smart objects, robots) will take place in correct written and/or spoken Lithuanian;

- non-Lithuanian personal names in electronic Lithuanian data repositories will be represented using codes for Lithuanian writing characters as well as the original characters, while the spoken pronunciation of non-Lithuanian personal names will be provided through audio recordings made by pronouncing Lithuanian speech sounds, as well as through audio recordings in the original language.

LITERATŪRA

Kalbų lygybė skaitmeniniame amžiuje. Gimtosios kalbos projektas. Europos Parlamentas. Tyrimas. IP/G/STOA/FWC/2013–001/Lot4/C2. EPRS | Europos Parlamento tyrimų tarnyba. Mokslinio perspektyvų tyrimo skyrius (STOA) PE 581.621. 2017 m. kovo mėn. 166 p.

Language equality in the digital age. Towards a Human Language Project. STUDY. IP/G/STOA/FWC/2013–001/Lot4/C2. EPRS|European Parliamentary Research Service. Scientific Foresight Unit (STOA) PE 581.621. March 2017. 165 p.

Gauta 2017 11 30

LAIMUTIS TELKSNYS

Vilniaus universiteto Matematikos ir informatikos institutas

Goštauto g. 12, LT-01108, Vilnius

[email protected]

BENDRINĖ KALBA 90 (2017)

www.bendrinekalba.lt

ISSN 2351–7204

LAIMUTIS TELKSNYS. Rašytinė ir sakytinė lietuvių kalba įprastoje ir elektroninėje terpėse | 5

WRITTEN AND SPOKEN LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE IN PAPER AND ELECTRONIC SPACE

Summary

The situation of the Lithuanian language in a rapidly changing, modern 7 billion people world is discussed. The suggestions are presented on what a few million Lithuanian people need to ensure that Lithuanian written and spoken language will be strong in the digital age.

KEY WORDS: human language, language equality, digital age, writing, speaking.

LAIMUTIS TELKSNYS

Institute of Mathematics and Informatics,

Vilnius University

Goštauto g. 12, LT-01108, Vilnius

[email protected]

BENDRINĖ KALBA 90 (2017)www.bendrinekalba.ltISSN 2351-7204