Pirmās Terminoloģijas komisijas Latvijā un Lietuvā¹

The aim of the study is to identify and compare the establishment, work organisation and results of the first Terminology Commissions (TC) in Latvia and Lithuania, as sources using previously conducted research, press articles and minutes of TC meetings. The innovation in the research is a comparison of the development of scientific-terminology maintenance in both countries. In Latvia, the TC operated for two years (1919–1921), while in Lithuania, the TC was established in line with the Latvian model in 1921 and existed until 1926. Although many similarities were found between the Latvian and Lithuanian TCs, the Latvian version’s structure was more branched, having a larger number of sub-commissions, more members, allowing a larger number of sectors to be covered. In Lithuania, as evidenced by minutes of TC meetings, much time was devoted to issues relating to the Commission’s own activities (remuneration, positions, etc.). The surviving result of the TCs’ work is the publication of the first scientific dictionaries of terms (1922 in Latvia, but 1924 in Lithuania). There are major differences between them in terms of both scale and arrangement. The Latvian dictionary is more meticulous (it includes terms for 20 sectors), while the Lithuanian edition is pocket-sized, covers terms in seven sectors and was only issued at the personal initiative of the TC Secretary, but is poorly compiled, and consequently has received relatively harsh criticism. Both countries saw outstanding linguists actively involved in terminology development (Jānis Endzelīns in Latvia, Jons Jablonskis in Lithuania). Although neither of them has left theoretical works directly devoted to terminology, all their activities in consultancy on and the creation of new terms or the clarification of existing ones made significant contributions to Latvian and Lithuanian terminology. Specialists from a variety of spheres were involved in the work of both TCs, all of whom felt responsibility for both their professional activity and the maintenance of its terminology.