Zigmas Zinkevičius

Zigmas Zinkevičius (January 4 1925 in Juodausiai, Ukmergė district) is the leadingFact|date=August 2008 Lithuanian linguist-historian, a professor at Vilnius University, and a true member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. [http://pirmojiknyga.mch.mii.lt/Asmenys/zinkevicius.lt.htm Zigmas Zinkevičius] . Retried on 2008-08-18] He has contributed to studies in the history of languages, onomastics Švietimo informacijų technologijų centras. [http://www.ipc.lt/wg/php/wg.php?zs=24&zn=58 Zigmas Zinkevičius] . Retried on 2008-08-18] and other areas. Zigmas Zinkevičius is a recipient of the Herder Prize, which was presented to him in 1994. Zinkevičius is the author of 30 academic books and several hundred scientific publications in various languages.

Biography

After graduating from the gymnasium at Ukmergė in 1945, he enrolled in Vilnius University [cite web |url=http://pirmojiknyga.mch.mii.lt/Asmenys/zinkevicius.en.htm |title=Zigmas Zinkevičius |accessdate=2008-08-07 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=A Virtual Exhibition of a Millennium of Lithuanian Cultural Heritage] . He studied linguistics until 1950. In 1955 Zinkevičius defended his thesis "Lietuvių kalbos įvardžiuotinių būdvardžių istorijos bruožai" ("Historical traits of adjective pronouns in lithuanian language") and received Doctoral degree. From 1956 to 1962, Zinkevičius was Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology of Vilnius University. Together with his colleagues, he established a new classification of Lithuanian language dialects. For his work "Lietuvių dialektologija" ("Lithuanian dialectology") (1966) Zigmas Zinkevičius received a Habilitated Doctor degree, after two more years became a professor. In 1973 Zinkevičius took a new position at Vilnius University as chairman of the Lithuanian language department, and has been serving since 1988 as chairman of the Baltic Philology department. From 1996 to 1998 he served as Lithuanian Minister of Education and Science.

Zigmas Zinkevičius has, since 1982, been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities; since 1991, of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, and since 1995, a member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences and the Lithuanian Catholic Academy of Sciences. He is fluent in a number of languages, including English, German, Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, and French. [ [http://www3.lrs.lt/n/rinkimai/20001008/kandvl.htm-152734.htm Zigmas Zinkevičius] . Retrieved on 2008-08-18] Zinkevičius is considered as the most cited Lithuanian linguist. [lt icon cite journal|title= Akademikui Zigmui Zinkevičiui – 80|journal=Universitas Vilensis|date=2005|first=Bonifacas|last=Stundžia|issue=45|url=http://www.vilnensis.vu.lt/nr-45/akademikas.html|format=|accessdate=2007-09-06 ]

He has published a book discussing this experience as a Minister of Education and Science of Lithuania: "Kaip Aš Buvau Ministru" ("How I was a Minister").

Other activities

Zigmas Zinkevičius has been a Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) member in 2000-2004, and also Education Minister. He is member of Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party and its head since 1999. He is also a member of National Language Committee and patriotic organisation Vilnija.

Awards and prizes

Zigmas Zinkevičius has received these awards and prizes:

* National Advancement prize ( _lt. Nacionalinė pažangos premija), 2007
* The Commander's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, 1995
* Kazimieras Būga prize awarded by Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, 1995
* Herder Prize, 1994

Recent publications

*"Mažosios Lietuvos indėlis į lietuvių kultūrą" Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas, 2008. ISBN 9785420016213
*"Rašto kilmė". Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas, 2007. ISBN 9785420016336
*"Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija" ("Ecyclopedia of Little Lithuania", as head redactor). Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas, 2007. ISBN 5-420-01612-5
*"Da dove veniamo: L’origine del popolo lituano" Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas, 2007. ISBN 9785420016183
*"Senosios Lietuvos valstybės vardynas" Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas, 2007. ISBN 5420016060
*"Tautos kilmė" Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutes, 2006. ISBN 5420016036
*"Po aštuonerių metų" ("After eight years") Vilnius: Petro ofsetas, 2006. ISBN 9955668571
*"Krikščionybės ištakos Lietuvoje: Rytų krikščionybė vardyno duomenimis" Vilnius : Katalikų akademija, 2005. ISBN 9986-592-49-6
*"Lietuvių tautos kilmė" Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas, 2005. ISBN 5-420-01554-4
*"Woher wir stammen. Der Ursprung des Litauischen Volkes." Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutes, 2005. ISBN 5-420-01572-2-V:For older publications see [http://zinkevicius.dtiltas.lt/bibliografija/bibliografija.htm bibliographical index]

elected publications

*"Lietuvių dialektologija. Lyginamoji tarmių fonetika ir morfologija" ("Lithuanian dialectology. Comparative dialectic phonetics and morphology"). Vilnius: Mintis, 1966
*"Kazimieras Būga: gyvenimas ir darbai" ("Kazimieras Būga - life and works") Vilnius: Mokslas, 1979.
*"Lietuvių kalbos istorija" ("History of Lithuanian language") 6 volumes (7 books ), Vilnius:Mokslas, 1984-1995. ISBN 5-420-01313-4: 7.00
*"Rytų Lietuva praeityje ir dabar" ("Eastern Lithuania in the past and present") Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų l-kla, 1993. ISBN 5-420-01085-2.
*"The History of the Lithuanian language". Vilnius : Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leid. inst, 1998. ISBN 5-420-01363-0: 10.00
*"Istorijos iškraipymai" ("Deformations of the history") Vilnius : Katalikų akademija : Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas, 2004 ISBN 5-420-01539-0:For older publications see [http://zinkevicius.dtiltas.lt/bibliografija/bibliografija.htm bibliographical index]

External links

* [http://zinkevicius.dtiltas.lt/bibliografija/bibliografija.htm Bibliographical index of works by Zigmas Zinkevičius]

References