Kaltais

Kaltais is a term that appears in Lithuanian grammar as a formal inflected form of the adjective kaltas, which means guilty or blameworthy. Specifically, kaltais is the instrumental plural masculine form and is used when the noun it modifies is in the instrumental case. In Lithuanian, adjectives must agree with the gender, number, and case of their nouns, and kaltais reflects the instrumental plural agreement with masculine or common gender nouns in that case.

Etymology and related forms

The form kaltais derives from the root kalt- meaning guilt or blame, together with standard Lithuanian inflectional endings for the instrumental plural. Related forms include kaltas (masculine singular nominative), kaltos or kaltė (nouns related to guilt), and the verb kalti or kaltinti, which are connected in meaning to blame, guilt, and accusation. The kaltais form is primarily encountered in grammatical descriptions, and in older or more formal Lithuanian prose when discussing how adjectives decline.

Usage

Kaltais is seldom used as a standalone lexical item outside of grammatical or linguistic discussion. It appears in explanations of Lithuanian case and agreement, or in examples illustrating how the instrumental plural form of an adjective functions in sentences such as “kaltais asmenimis” (with the guilty persons). The form is not a separate word with independent meaning beyond its grammatical role.

See also

Kaltas, kaltė, kalti, kaltinimas.