laipsni

Laipsni is not a standalone entry in standard Lithuanian; it is the stem of the noun laipsnis. Laipsnis means degree, grade, step, or level, and is used in contexts ranging from temperature and angles to hierarchical rank. In linguistic discussions, laipsni serves as the base form used to generate the word’s inflected forms.

In the singular, the inflected forms transition from the stem laipsni to various endings: genitive laipsnio, dative laipsniui, accusative laipsnį, instrumental laipsniu, and locative laipsnyje. In the plural, the forms are nominative laipsniai, genitive laipsnių, dative laipsniams, accusative laipsnius, instrumental laipsniais, and locative laipsniuose. Across these forms, the sequence laipsni appears as the consistent stem before case endings are added. This pattern—laipsni- plus endings—is typical of Lithuanian noun declension.

Because laipsni is a morphological stem rather than a separate lexical item, it does not carry a distinct meaning by itself beyond indicating how laipsnis is inflected. It is primarily encountered in grammar descriptions, lexicon entries, and language-learning materials that illustrate declension patterns.

See also: laipsnis, declension patterns, Lithuanian grammar.