Lithuanian is a Baltic language related to Latvian and Old Prussian with about 3.5 million speakers in Lithuania. There are also Lithuanian speakers in Poland, the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, the UK and Uruguay. Lithuanian first appeared in print in the form of a catechism in 1547. Between 1864 and 1904 the printing and teaching of Lithuanian was banned - Russian, Polish, Belorussian or Latin had to be used instead. After this ban was lifted in 1904, there was a resurgence of Lithuanian literature. |