Žodžio pãreigos reikšmė ir vietininko problema
The meaning of the word pareigos in administrative language and the problem of locative case

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of the article is to determine the origin and senses of the word pareigos and thereafter analyse the history of standardisation and actual usage of the word in the locative case pareigose. The article also aims to evaluate the rationality behind the current codification.In the writings, the word pareiga is a verbal abstract from the verb pareiti. Although initially the suitability of the sense 'obligation' raised doubts, it however became entrenched in the standard language, while the sense denoting service became established in the plural form pareigos.At the beginning of the 20th century, the locative form pareigose was preferred as it could be justified by examples of the Lithuanian language, i.e. denoting an almost specific location. Later on, in the middle of the 20th century, several expressions with the locative case were corrected: dirbti pareigose, pažeminti (paaukštinti) pareigose, būti pareigose. These instances were criticised, first, on the basis of stylistic purposes as they were used annoyingly and without any real need; in addition, they made the utterances vague. It was also considered that this locative form is foreign to the Lithuanian language, i.e. non-characteristic, ungrounded and unmotivated.Locative forms pareigose regarded as inappropriate occur rather frequently in the current administrative language, especially in non-edited texts; they are used to express mode, state, feature. The analysis of the definitions of the word pareigos in the Lithuanian dictionaries and actual usage showed that one of the semes of this word is the figurative sense of location associated with certain area, nature or status of service or work. Therefore, it is worthwhile to reconsider the standard evaluation of the locative pareigose as the locative case of the word having a figurative sense of location should not be strictly corrected.

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