New data for the reconstructon of the classifcation of the Lithuanian dialects by Antanas Baranauskas)

The present study focuses on two new Antanas Baranauskas’ descriptions of the regional varieties of the Kaunas Governorate, namely a copy (transcription) of the manuscript Moksl̄as Lëtùwiszkos kal̄bós (Learning the Lithuanian Language) (stored in the manuscript sources in the library of the Institute for Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, signature F1-216/1) and Mikołaj Akielewicz’s Gramatyka języka litewskiego (Grammar of the Lithuanian Language). The dialect descriptions under consideration have not been addressed in Lithuanian dialectology yet and therefore they will complement the carthographic reconstruction of A. Baranauskas’ dialects drawn up by the author of this study. The findings of the study based on two new sources do not only confirm the results but also validate the claims made in the previous reconstructive research. The conclusion can be drawn that A. Baranauskas was consistent in pointing out the same distinguishing dialectal features in all his dialect descriptions, however, he kept refining dialect boundaries. Comparative geolinguistic analysis of all A. Baranauskas’ dialect descriptions highlights sequences in changes in the dialect boundaries of Second Eastern, Third Eastern, Fourth Eastern and Fifth Eastern. It may be hypothesised that the first attempt to determine dialect boundaries is associated with M. Akielewicz’s grammar, written on the basis of early A. Baranauskas’ descriptions