The Latvian Language Agency has created an electronic dictionary of Latvian surnames

The Latvian Language Agency (LVA) has created an electronic dictionary of Latvian surnames, which is the end of more than five years of work collecting and researching Latvian surnames, LETA informed the LVA agency.

The dictionary was created by putting together surnames from the study “Latvian surnames in archival materials” and the surnames included in the Register of Natural Persons, and it is planned to be supplemented and clarified.

The work on surname research was started in celebration of Latvia’s centenary. Statistical specialist and historian Ilmārs Mežs intended the series of Latvian surname dictionaries as a “beautiful and valuable gift to Latvia in the centenary”, LVA revealed.

In cooperation with the co-authors of the dictionary, a large-scale study “Latvian surnames in archival materials” was created and published. In 2017, a dictionary was published that collected the surnames of Latgale, but the dictionary published in 2019 covered Kurzemi, Zemgale and Selia, or the historical duchies of Kurzeme and Zemgale. In the third part, published last year, surnames in Vidzeme were studied.

The editions not only collect information about surnames, but also include engaging introductions. Linguist Sanda Rapa also contributed to the Artava project. Illustrative and informative maps and pictures are also offered, the development of which involved the specialists of SIA “Jāņa sēta” and geographer Jānis Turlajs.

The opening event of the electronic Latvian surname dictionary will take place on November 23 at 2 pm at Oskars Kalpaks boulevard 4.

People read. Photo: Evija Trifanova/LETA