A large part of the northeastern Eastprussia was of basically Lithuanian origin. This especially true for the provinces of Pogegen, Heydekrug, Pillkallen (Schlossberg), Tilsit, Ragnit, Memel.

 After the plebiscite of 1919 Pogegen, Memel and part of Heydekrug became part of Lithuania.

 Below is a dictionary, which may not be complete, explaining the origins of words found in some of the towns and villages and the translation of same. Quite often  a village name is made up of  syllables describing sometimes the surrounding area in which you find it. The lithuanian language does not contain a Q or W The use of a H is foreign. Lithuania is written in their own language as: Lietuva

     Lithuanien                         German                         English

      aszolas                              Eiche                             Oak

      aukstas                             Hoch                             High 

      bala                                  Moor, Bruch                 Bog. swamp

      blendis                              Salweide                     

      bredis                               Elch, Elen                      Moose

      buda                                 Hütte, Bude                 Hut, booth 

      drawenai                          Wildbienengegend          A place in which wild bees live

      drawis                              Wildbienenstock            wildbeehive

      duda                                 Hirtenhorn 

      egle                                   Tanne                            Fir  

      galas                                 Ende, Stück                 End, piece           

      girren                                Wald                             Forest

      kalnas                               Berg                              Hill

      kalneliskas                        Kleiner Berg                  Small Hill

      kalve                                 Schmiede                      Blacksmithshop

      karklas                              Bachweide                    Creekwillow

      kelmas                               Stumpf, Stubbe             Stump, (Tree)

      Kelmynas                          Stubbenort                    Place with Stumps.  Place of cut trees.

      lasdynas                            Haselgesträuch             Hazelbush

      laukas                               Feld, Acker                   Field.

      lauken                               Felde                             Field

      lipa                                    Linde                            Limetree

      osynas                              Eschenwald                    Ashforest ( fraxinas excelsior)

      pilis                                   Schloss, Burg                Castle

      plikas                                kahl                               Barren

      plynis                                Torfbruch, unfruchtbares Land  peatbog, unusable land  

      pa, po                               bei, neben, an                by, near, on 

      pawils                                Paul                              Paul

      pawyda                             Neid                             Jealous, grudge

      pjaunis                              Wiese                            Meadow

      pöhnen                            Ort                                Village, town 

      puszynas                           Fichtenwäldchen           Small Sprucetree Forest

      radczas                              Radmacher                   Wheelmaker

      serbenta                            Bocksbeere                   Berry

      scroblyne                          Buchenwald                   Beechforest

      snappas                            Schnabel                        Bill, beak

      stabis                                Stein                              Stone

      szesze                               Amsel                            Blackbird

      szilas                                 Heide                            Heath

      upe                                   Bach, Fluss                    Creek, River

      usz                                    hinter, jenseits                behind, beyond

      warnas                              Rabe, Krähe                Raven, Crow

      wiesas                               öffentlich                      public

Last update: November 2, 2010