Kriterijais

Kriterijais is the instrumental plural form of the Lithuanian masculine noun kriterijus, which denotes a criterion or standard used for judging, evaluating, or deciding something. In Lithuanian, kriterijus has several inflected forms, and kriterijais is specifically used when the criteria function as the means or context of an action, particularly in formal or technical prose.

Etymology and related forms: The word kriterijus is a loanword adapted to Lithuanian from the word criterion, with the plural nominative kriterijai and the instrumental plural kriterijais forming in line with standard Lithuanian noun paradigms. Other related forms include kriterijų (genitive plural) and kriterijams or other case forms for different grammatical roles within a sentence. The terms are commonly found in academic, statistical, legal, and administrative texts where standards or benchmarks are discussed.

Usage and scope: Kriterijais appears mainly in formal and technical writing to indicate that several criteria are being considered as the basis for evaluation, decision-making, or analysis. It is less common in everyday speech, where simpler phrases like “kriterijai” (the criteria) are usually preferred for clarity. The instrumental form helps convey nuances about the criteria acting as instruments or factors in the reasoning process.

In summary, kriterijais is a grammatical form used in Lithuanian to refer to multiple criteria in a way that highlights their role as the means or conditions shaping an action, and it is most appropriate in formal linguistic or domain-specific contexts.