istorinis

Istorinis is a Lithuanian adjective meaning “historical” or “relating to history.” It is formed from the noun istorija (history) with the suffix -inis, a common way to create adjectives in Lithuanian. The root istor- comes from istorija, which was borrowed into Lithuanian from Polish historia and ultimately traces back to Latin historia.

The word is used to describe things connected with history, such as events, sources, periods, or works of literature and art. Common phrases include istorinis įvykis (historical event), istorinis šaltinis (historical source), istorinis laikotarpis (historical period), and istorinis romanas (historical novel). As an adjective, istorinis agrees with the noun in gender and number (for example istorinis įvykis, istorinė data, istorinių įvykių šaltiniai).

In everyday and academic usage, istorinis conveys both factual historical relevance and a sense of significance tied to past events. The term appears in education, museums, media, and scholarly writing to label materials and discussions that pertain to history. While it is the standard Lithuanian term for historical, it is not used to distinguish between a “historic” event (a single notable occurrence) and a broader historical context; such distinctions are made through phrasing rather than a separate lexical meaning.

See also: history, historiography.