LTLietuvoje mokslo institucionalizavimo pradžia siejama su Mokslų akademijos įkūrimu 1941-aisiais, bet lietuvių kalbotyra šį procesą pradėjo keleriais metais anksčiau. Spartesnę kalbotyros raidą lėmė gerokai išaugęs valstybės poreikis įgyvendinti valstybinės kalbos statusą visose Lietuvos gyvenimo srityse ir visais lygmenimis. Lietuvių kalbos ir kalbotyros institucionalizacija sietina su Antano Smetonos lituanistikos instituto įkūrimu 1938-aisiais (jei būtų žiūrima teisės akto datos) ar 1939-aisiais (kai Institutas iš tikro pradėjo veiklą). Jis kartu su Lietuva išgyveno istorinius lūžius ir politinius perversmus: 1940 m. buvo reorganizuotas, o 1941-ųjų pradžioje – uždarytas. Instituto pagrindu 1941 m. sausio mėnesį buvo įkurta Lietuvos TSR mokslų akademija. Antano Smetonos lituanistikos institute veikė trys skyriai: Lietuvių kalbos, Lietuvos istorijos ir Tautosakos skyrius, tuomet vadintas Tautosakos archyvu. Visų skyrių veikla, galima sakyti, buvo orientuota į praeities tyrimus, istorinės, etnografinės ar kalbinės medžiagos rinkimą ir skelbimą. Lietuvių kalbos skyriaus veikla šiuo atveju dar ir išskirtinė: be tų pačių tikslų ir uždavinių, kurie buvo iškelti Institutui, kalbininkai turėjo dar kelis. Vienas jų – organizuoti ir realizuoti valstybinės kalbos tvarkybą, o kartu su ja – aktyvinti ir modernizuoti kalbos mokslą Lietuvoje. [...]. [Iš Pratarmės]
EN2022 will mark the first centenary of Lithuania’s official state language which presents a unique opportunity to assess its progress from a distance. After the declaration of independence in 1918, the Lithuanian state spent several decades building a cohesive system of language management. The institutionalization of Lithuanian also brought with it the partial institutionalization of the science researching it – Lithuanian linguistics. The institutionalization of science in Lithuania began in 1941 with the establishment of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. However, Lithuanian linguistics had entered this process several years earlier, prompted by a fast growing need to implement Lithuanian as the state language across all levels of society and in all areas of life. The history of institutionalising the Lithuanian language and linguistics begins with the establishment of the Antanas Smetona Institute of Lithuanian Studies (ASILS) in 1938 (the official date of the legal act) with its actual work starting in 1939. Not immune to the historical events and political turbulences of the time, ASILS was reorganised in 1940 before being closed down in early 1941. The Lithuanian SSR Academy of Sciences was set up in January that same year on the basis of the former institute. Three divisions were active within ASILS during its short existence: the Lithuanian Language Department, the Lithuanian History Department and the Lithuanian Folklore Department (known as the Folklore Archive). Their main focus was on researching the past, collecting historical, ethnographic and linguistic materials as well as publishing them. However, alongside ASILS’ overall goals and objectives, the Language Department had several further responsibilities, such as managing the state language, promoting and modernising linguistics in Lithuania – all unresearched until now.The object of this study is the Lithuanian Language Department of ASILS and its origins, researched with the aim to substantiate the idea of ASILS as the precursor to the presentday Institute of the Lithuanian Language. And while, based on formal criteria, the early linguistic activities of ASILS could be viewed as a certain pre-institutional stage, in terms of the subject matter its contribution is no less significant. ASILS only functioned for several years, therefore little historical material is available from that period. It includes documents currently held at the Lithuanian Central State Archives (LCSA), such as legal files, witness accounts, memoirs as well as scientific and promotional publications by various linguists (see Sources). Despite being relatively unstudied (many of the archived documents are being published for the first time), these sources highlight important changes in academicism and the public expression of the academic community, such as openness to new ideas, international cooperation, formal and informal networking, leadership within the academic elite, public discourse, the growing status and prestige of science within the society. The aim of this research is to systematically (re)construct and describe from a phenomenological perspective the scientific and organisational activities of ASILS’ Lithuanian Language Department. The study is based on a critical analysis of empirical data (protocols, plans, public speeches, etc.) as well as secondary sources (recollections by linguists, publications, etc.), using the infographic-analytical and historiographic methods. Efforts were made to avoid prescriptive writing, at the same time ensuring that the overview was not too fragmented. The history of Lithuanian linguistics is often told by contrasting two periods: the present day and the Soviet era.However, the interwar years – particularly the 1930s – should also be considered, as many of the ideas on language and linguistics began materialising in Lithuania during this period, which is the focus of the current study. A systemic overview combined with new facts published in this study outline the structure of ASILS as well as its everyday realities and future plans. The strategies and directions pursued by the Lithuanian linguistics of the time inspired further studies, so the current research will provide a better understanding of how the state language functioned during the analysed period and what requirements were applied to it (and by it). This study could also act as a starting point for a more comprehensive and objective assessment of the linguistic research conducted during the Soviet period, reinforcing the appreciation of what had been lost during these five decades and, more importantly, what had been gained. Many important large-scale language and linguistics projects, the institutional allegiance of which changed at various historical and political turning points, were initiated at ASILS (January 1, 1939469 - June 1940). Continuing under a shortened name the Institute of Lithuanian Studies until 6 January 1941, the centre was then reorganised and reopened on 16 January 1941 as the Institute of the Lithuanian Language under the Lithuanian SSR Academy of Sciences. Known as the Institute of the Academy of Sciences during WWII and the Institute of the Lithuanian SSR Academy of Sciences in the post-war decades, the establishment was finally affiliated with the Lithuanian Literature Institute to become the Institute of the Lithuanian Language and Literature in 1952. Awarded the status of an independent institution in 1990, the Institute officially became an academic body a year later and continues its activities today. [...]. [From the publication]