Leičiai
Encyclopedia
Leičiai were a distinct social group of the Lithuanian
society in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
, subordinates to Lithuanian ruler or the state itself. The 15-16th centuries were the time of degradation of this social group and it disappeared with the execution of Wallach reform
. During the 15-16th centuries Leičiai were a distinct, moribund social group, already not having some previous and no longer needed functions. According the hypothesis brought forward by Lithuanian historian Artūras Dubonis and linguist Simas Karaliūnas, leičiai were the core part of the Lithuanian society native to Lietuva Land
in pre-state era and during the establishment of the state. Leičiai made the majority of military-economical staff of the state, they were enforcing the state authority in peripheral areas, protecting frontiers of the state, assuming various other war related economical functions, like growing riding horses.
Another meaning of the word leičiai is ethnonym
ic – it is used by Latvians
to denote the Lithuanians (leiši in Latvian
), was historically known to the Germans
in the same sense. Opponents to the hypothesis which attempts to relate the words leitis, leičiai and Lietuva, say that the form leičiai, leitis, with a diphthong -ei- instead of -i.e.-, the latter of which is in a form Lietuva, is likely to be of Western Baltic
origin.
area of the GDL
times. The administrative part of 10 villages in Anykščiai volost
was called Leičiai, Lietuva, also possibly Leituva: у Лейтахъ (1532) – a rendering of Leičiai (as a place name) in writing; у войтовъстве Левътевскомъ (< Лейтевском) (1569), до Лейтовского рубежа (1545) – a base form of a rendering was possibly Leituva; we … wojtowstwie Liejtowskim (1597); войтовъстве Летувъском (1595, 1597) – a rendering of Lietuva or Lētuva. Lithuanian -ie- was rendered as -и- or -е- in writing, or if it was -ē- instead of -ie- – as -е-. A case of writing a place name Karšuva as w Korszewie, Korszewska, Korszewski powiat (16th c.) shows that Левътевскомъ (< Лейтевском) could reflect a form Leituva. The variant Lietuva or Lētuva was also old, for example, the form of the name of the same place from the end of the 14 century: a Hilgebeke (Šventoji
) [...] usque Borchwal, nomine Lettow (from Šventoji river up to the castle, of a name Lithuania). The place of this castle coincides with Šeimyniškėliai hill fort. The word Lettow means Lithuania (compare, for example, an inscription of Jogaila
's seal: Yagal, Dey gracia rex in Lettow; 1377–1386), a word 'castle' had maybe a meaning of the whole administrative area, volost
.
The ethnonym
ic meaning of leičiai, e.g. "Lithuanians", is known from several sources. This word is used by Latvians to name Lithuanians: leiši, sg. leitis (Lithuanian equivalent would be leičiai, leitis). In Žemaitian dialect there were words leičiuoti 'to speak in other than Žemaitian, or to speak in Aukštaitian dialect
', leičiukas, leičiūkas 'who speaks in other dialect than Žemaitian, has accent'. Compare, for example, modern Lithuanian žemaičiuoti 'to speak with Žemaitian accent'. From historical written sources an important example is known from one participant of the conference of Lutsk
, 1429. John Steinkeller, who was a member of a council of Wrocław (Breslau), wrote in a letter addressed to his home town, that Sigismund
was going to give Vytautas a title of a king of Lithuanians: her wolde machen herczog Wytolten eynen konyng der Leytten. The word forms, which have meanings Lithuanian, Lithuanians, Lithuania and are most likely derived from the word leitis, are constantly found in the historical sources from the 14-15th centuries. For example, Lithuania is rendered as in writing czwicshen Lythen und Prewssen (1415); as das land Litten with a specification that it was Aukštaitija, inn Auchstetter gegent, in a narrative of a participant or witness of the Battle of Strėva
. The ruler of Lithuanians is rendered as die Litischen konige at the same latter source (Chronicon seu annales Wigandi Marburgensis).
It seems that the presence of such forms with -ei- in Latvian (more known in a western part), German and Žemaitian dialect itself has a high possibility that the forms could derive from western Balts, but it is possibly not clear why they have no suffix -uva / -ava.
Simas Karaliūnas says that a word Lithuania – Lietuva – had a meaning of bodyguard, retinue, attendant soldiery, troop, its members, which is shown by writings from, for example, Russian sources: krestil knjazja Litovskago imenem Evnutija i ego družinu Litvu – baptized the duke of Lithuania Jaunutis and his retinue Lithuania; I pšišed posol Totui i vydal Korjadą i ego družinu Litvu knjazju velikomu Semenu Ivanovičiu – and came an envoy Totui and handed Karijotas and his retinue Lithuania over for grand duke Semyon Ivanovich. S. Karaliūnas accepts the synonymy of the word leičiai and Lietuva as proven and supposes, that the word leitis, leičiai (< *leitiai) derives from the form *leitā, a synonym of *lietuvā, *leitavā, which, as it is shown above, had the meaning of armed retinue. According to Karaliūnas, leičiai were also stablemen, who took care of horses, which were an important martial property.
As a social group leičiai were mentioned in the sources of the 15th and the first half of the 16th century. They were possession of a monarch, that is, subordinates to a state, not personally to nobles. The first such mention of them is known from 1407, when Vytautas granted an estate, among which staff leytey are mentioned, for Manvydas, then an elder
of Vilnius. The monarchs Alexander Jagiellon
and Sigismund I the Old
used to transfer their estates to nobles for a temporary administration, receiving cash, which was needed for a war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow
. The documentation of such contracts is the major source of leičiai' mentions. They were mentioned among service staff in various estates: лейти, лейци, лейтеве, лойти, людей лейтъскихъ etc. These forms are considered to be the same as in у Лейтахъ – in Leičiai (administrative area).
volost, in a litigation against a minor land owner over his patrimonial plot in 1514, said that he was an eternal leitis (лейти звечный). From the other sources of the first half of the 16th century it is known that the new people, although could be accepted to work in this service, could not become leičiai themselves. Leičiai, differently from villeins, had their patrimonial plots, right to move to other places and come back by their own will, and were accountable in doing their duties as a brethren, not distinct households. With the Wallach reform
leičiai became equal to other villeins and this distinct social group disappeared.
, which flows between Neris
and Šventoji
rivers near their confluence, should be one of the examples of the geographical object names, which received their name from leičiai. There is Rukla town, maybe relating with the name Ruklys, son of Mindaugas
, in the same area, and it is thought that leičiai, people of the grand duke, could have lived in an estate now known as Perelozai located by the rivulet Lietava. Among place names considered to be derived from the word leičiai are, for example, Leičiai / Laičiai, Leitiškės(/-iai), Laiteliai villages in Aukštaitija
, Leičiai, Lietuva / Lētuva, Leitava naming of one historical administrative part in Anykščiai
area, maybe the whole volost
(later known as Anykščiai volost) at the time of its establishment, Leitkapiai (modern Mataitiškė, Nosaičiai), Laitikai (modern Laitekiai) placenames in Žemaitija
, etc. There are also surnames possibly derived from the word: Leita, Leitis, Leitanis, Leitanas, Leitonas, Leitėnas, Leičiūnas.
, who assumed that the diphthong -ei- shows a Curonian
origin of the word and that the word laičiai (place name) could not possibly be derived from *leičiai. Meanwhile, historian Dubonis argues, that the use of such form is simply present in historical sources: лейти, лейци, лейтеве, людей лейтьскихъ (leit-) and лойти, (в пяти службах) лойтских (lait-) etc.
Lithuanians
Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
society in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
, subordinates to Lithuanian ruler or the state itself. The 15-16th centuries were the time of degradation of this social group and it disappeared with the execution of Wallach reform
Wallach reform
Wallach reform was a land reform in parts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . Main goal of the reform was to increase revenue to the state treasury, and to distribute feodal services to the peasants...
. During the 15-16th centuries Leičiai were a distinct, moribund social group, already not having some previous and no longer needed functions. According the hypothesis brought forward by Lithuanian historian Artūras Dubonis and linguist Simas Karaliūnas, leičiai were the core part of the Lithuanian society native to Lietuva Land
Duchy of Lithuania
Duchy of Lithuania was a state-territorial formation of ethnic Lithuanians, that existed from the 12th century until 1413. Most of the time it was a constituent part and a nucleus of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania...
in pre-state era and during the establishment of the state. Leičiai made the majority of military-economical staff of the state, they were enforcing the state authority in peripheral areas, protecting frontiers of the state, assuming various other war related economical functions, like growing riding horses.
Another meaning of the word leičiai is ethnonym
Ethnonym
An ethnonym is the name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms and autonyms or endonyms .As an example, the ethnonym for...
ic – it is used by Latvians
Latvians
Latvians or Letts are the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia.-History:Latvians occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which may have originated from the word Latve which is a name of the river that presumably flowed through what is now eastern Latvia...
to denote the Lithuanians (leiši in Latvian
Latvian language
Latvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...
), was historically known to the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
in the same sense. Opponents to the hypothesis which attempts to relate the words leitis, leičiai and Lietuva, say that the form leičiai, leitis, with a diphthong -ei- instead of -i.e.-, the latter of which is in a form Lietuva, is likely to be of Western Baltic
Baltic languages
The Baltic languages are a group of related languages belonging to the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family and spoken mainly in areas extending east and southeast of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe...
origin.
Leičiai and Lietuva
The synonymy of the word forms leitis, leičiai and Lietuva is shown by the historical naming of one place in AnykščiaiAnykšciai
Anykščiai is a ski resort town in Lithuania, 20 miles west of Utena. The Roman Catholic Church of St. Matthias in Anykščiai is the tallest church in Lithuania, with spires measuring 79 meters in height.The city has a football club FK Anykščiai.-Name:...
area of the GDL
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
times. The administrative part of 10 villages in Anykščiai volost
Volost
Volost was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe.In earlier East Slavic history, volost was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ruler or with varying degree of autonomy from the Velikiy Knyaz...
was called Leičiai, Lietuva, also possibly Leituva: у Лейтахъ (1532) – a rendering of Leičiai (as a place name) in writing; у войтовъстве Левътевскомъ (< Лейтевском) (1569), до Лейтовского рубежа (1545) – a base form of a rendering was possibly Leituva; we … wojtowstwie Liejtowskim (1597); войтовъстве Летувъском (1595, 1597) – a rendering of Lietuva or Lētuva. Lithuanian -ie- was rendered as -и- or -е- in writing, or if it was -ē- instead of -ie- – as -е-. A case of writing a place name Karšuva as w Korszewie, Korszewska, Korszewski powiat (16th c.) shows that Левътевскомъ (< Лейтевском) could reflect a form Leituva. The variant Lietuva or Lētuva was also old, for example, the form of the name of the same place from the end of the 14 century: a Hilgebeke (Šventoji
Šventoji River
The Šventoji River is the longest river that flows entirely within Lithuania and the largest tributary of the Neris River. It originates from the Lake Samanis in the Gražutė Regional Park and flows into Neris near Jonava. The longest tributary of the Šventoji is the Širvinta River.The Šventoji...
) [...] usque Borchwal, nomine Lettow (from Šventoji river up to the castle, of a name Lithuania). The place of this castle coincides with Šeimyniškėliai hill fort. The word Lettow means Lithuania (compare, for example, an inscription of Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
's seal: Yagal, Dey gracia rex in Lettow; 1377–1386), a word 'castle' had maybe a meaning of the whole administrative area, volost
Volost
Volost was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe.In earlier East Slavic history, volost was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ruler or with varying degree of autonomy from the Velikiy Knyaz...
.
The ethnonym
Ethnonym
An ethnonym is the name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms and autonyms or endonyms .As an example, the ethnonym for...
ic meaning of leičiai, e.g. "Lithuanians", is known from several sources. This word is used by Latvians to name Lithuanians: leiši, sg. leitis (Lithuanian equivalent would be leičiai, leitis). In Žemaitian dialect there were words leičiuoti 'to speak in other than Žemaitian, or to speak in Aukštaitian dialect
Aukštaitian dialect
Aukštaitian dialect is one of the dialects of the Lithuanian language, spoken in ethnographic regions of Aukštaitija, Dzūkija and Suvalkija. It became the basis for the standard Lithuanian language.-Classification:...
', leičiukas, leičiūkas 'who speaks in other dialect than Žemaitian, has accent'. Compare, for example, modern Lithuanian žemaičiuoti 'to speak with Žemaitian accent'. From historical written sources an important example is known from one participant of the conference of Lutsk
Lutsk
Lutsk is a city located by the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast and the administrative center of the surrounding Lutskyi Raion within the oblast...
, 1429. John Steinkeller, who was a member of a council of Wrocław (Breslau), wrote in a letter addressed to his home town, that Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
was going to give Vytautas a title of a king of Lithuanians: her wolde machen herczog Wytolten eynen konyng der Leytten. The word forms, which have meanings Lithuanian, Lithuanians, Lithuania and are most likely derived from the word leitis, are constantly found in the historical sources from the 14-15th centuries. For example, Lithuania is rendered as in writing czwicshen Lythen und Prewssen (1415); as das land Litten with a specification that it was Aukštaitija, inn Auchstetter gegent, in a narrative of a participant or witness of the Battle of Strėva
Battle of Streva
Battle of Strėva, Strebe, or Strawe was fought on February 2, 1348 between the Teutonic Knights and pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania on the banks of the Strėva River, a right tributary of the Neman River, near present-day Žiežmariai...
. The ruler of Lithuanians is rendered as die Litischen konige at the same latter source (Chronicon seu annales Wigandi Marburgensis).
It seems that the presence of such forms with -ei- in Latvian (more known in a western part), German and Žemaitian dialect itself has a high possibility that the forms could derive from western Balts, but it is possibly not clear why they have no suffix -uva / -ava.
Simas Karaliūnas says that a word Lithuania – Lietuva – had a meaning of bodyguard, retinue, attendant soldiery, troop, its members, which is shown by writings from, for example, Russian sources: krestil knjazja Litovskago imenem Evnutija i ego družinu Litvu – baptized the duke of Lithuania Jaunutis and his retinue Lithuania; I pšišed posol Totui i vydal Korjadą i ego družinu Litvu knjazju velikomu Semenu Ivanovičiu – and came an envoy Totui and handed Karijotas and his retinue Lithuania over for grand duke Semyon Ivanovich. S. Karaliūnas accepts the synonymy of the word leičiai and Lietuva as proven and supposes, that the word leitis, leičiai (< *leitiai) derives from the form *leitā, a synonym of *lietuvā, *leitavā, which, as it is shown above, had the meaning of armed retinue. According to Karaliūnas, leičiai were also stablemen, who took care of horses, which were an important martial property.
As a social group leičiai were mentioned in the sources of the 15th and the first half of the 16th century. They were possession of a monarch, that is, subordinates to a state, not personally to nobles. The first such mention of them is known from 1407, when Vytautas granted an estate, among which staff leytey are mentioned, for Manvydas, then an elder
Starosta
Starost is a title for an official or unofficial position of leadership that has been used in various contexts through most of Slavic history. It can be translated as "elder"...
of Vilnius. The monarchs Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander of the House of Jagiellon was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and later also King of Poland. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV Jagiellon...
and Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I of Poland , of the Jagiellon dynasty, reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
used to transfer their estates to nobles for a temporary administration, receiving cash, which was needed for a war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow or Grand Principality of Moscow, also known in English simply as Muscovy , was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow, and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia....
. The documentation of such contracts is the major source of leičiai' mentions. They were mentioned among service staff in various estates: лейти, лейци, лейтеве, лойти, людей лейтъскихъ etc. These forms are considered to be the same as in у Лейтахъ – in Leičiai (administrative area).
Leičiai service
Leičiai were war like servants of a ruler, the staff enforcing his authority. Their duties were likely related with warfare, among which possibly were growing of riding horses, providing roadmen, protection of the frontiers. This social group and a service had to be not needed anymore already in the 15th century. For example, one leitis from EišiškėsEišiškes
Eišiškės ) is a city in southeastern Lithuania on the border with Belarus. It is situated on a small group of hills, surrounded by marshy valley of Verseka and Dumblė Rivers. Rivers divide the town into two parts; the northern part is called Jurzdika. As of January 2008, Eišiškės had a population...
volost, in a litigation against a minor land owner over his patrimonial plot in 1514, said that he was an eternal leitis (лейти звечный). From the other sources of the first half of the 16th century it is known that the new people, although could be accepted to work in this service, could not become leičiai themselves. Leičiai, differently from villeins, had their patrimonial plots, right to move to other places and come back by their own will, and were accountable in doing their duties as a brethren, not distinct households. With the Wallach reform
Wallach reform
Wallach reform was a land reform in parts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . Main goal of the reform was to increase revenue to the state treasury, and to distribute feodal services to the peasants...
leičiai became equal to other villeins and this distinct social group disappeared.
Geographical objects, surnames
According to the hypothesis proposing the relation between leičiai, mentioned as a social group, and Lietuva, the name of a little river LietavaLietauka
Lietava, Lietauka or Letauka is a rivulet in Lithuania that is believed to have given Lithuania its name. It is 11 km in length and flows into Neris 30 km away from Kernavė, a possible first capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It flows through a swampy region and no important archaeological...
, which flows between Neris
Neris
Neris is a river rising in Belarus, flowing through Vilnius and becoming a tributary of the Neman River at Kaunas...
and Šventoji
Šventoji River
The Šventoji River is the longest river that flows entirely within Lithuania and the largest tributary of the Neris River. It originates from the Lake Samanis in the Gražutė Regional Park and flows into Neris near Jonava. The longest tributary of the Šventoji is the Širvinta River.The Šventoji...
rivers near their confluence, should be one of the examples of the geographical object names, which received their name from leičiai. There is Rukla town, maybe relating with the name Ruklys, son of Mindaugas
Mindaugas
Mindaugas was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only King of Lithuania. Little is known of his origins, early life, or rise to power; he is mentioned in a 1219 treaty as an elder duke, and in 1236 as the leader of all the Lithuanians...
, in the same area, and it is thought that leičiai, people of the grand duke, could have lived in an estate now known as Perelozai located by the rivulet Lietava. Among place names considered to be derived from the word leičiai are, for example, Leičiai / Laičiai, Leitiškės(/-iai), Laiteliai villages in Aukštaitija
Aukštaitija
Aukštaitija is the name of one of five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. The name comes from the relatively high elevation of the region, particularly the eastern parts.-Geography:...
, Leičiai, Lietuva / Lētuva, Leitava naming of one historical administrative part in Anykščiai
Anykšciai
Anykščiai is a ski resort town in Lithuania, 20 miles west of Utena. The Roman Catholic Church of St. Matthias in Anykščiai is the tallest church in Lithuania, with spires measuring 79 meters in height.The city has a football club FK Anykščiai.-Name:...
area, maybe the whole volost
Volost
Volost was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe.In earlier East Slavic history, volost was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ruler or with varying degree of autonomy from the Velikiy Knyaz...
(later known as Anykščiai volost) at the time of its establishment, Leitkapiai (modern Mataitiškė, Nosaičiai), Laitikai (modern Laitekiai) placenames in Žemaitija
Samogitia
Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...
, etc. There are also surnames possibly derived from the word: Leita, Leitis, Leitanis, Leitanas, Leitonas, Leitėnas, Leičiūnas.
Criticism
The hypothesis of relating the name of Lithuania – Lietuva – with leičiai, was not accepted by Zigmas ZinkevičiusZigmas Zinkevicius
Zigmas Zinkevičius is a leading Lithuanian linguist-historian, professor at Vilnius University, and a true member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. He has contributed to studies in the history of languages, onomastics and other areas. Zinkevičius is a recipient of the Herder Prize, which was...
, who assumed that the diphthong -ei- shows a Curonian
Curonian language
The Curonian language or Old Curonian is an extinct language spoken by the Curonian tribe, who lived mainly on the Courland peninsula and along the nearby Baltic shores....
origin of the word and that the word laičiai (place name) could not possibly be derived from *leičiai. Meanwhile, historian Dubonis argues, that the use of such form is simply present in historical sources: лейти, лейци, лейтеве, людей лейтьскихъ (leit-) and лойти, (в пяти службах) лойтских (lait-) etc.