skirstinys

Skirstinys is a Lithuanian linguistic term that refers to a delimiter or separator used to divide textual or linguistic units. The word derives from the verb skirsti, meaning “to split” or “to divide,” and it is applied to punctuation marks that indicate boundaries between sentences, clauses, or items within a list.

In the context of writing, a skirstinys can denote a wide range of punctuation marks that serve to order and clarify meaning. These include the comma, semicolon, colon, dash, parentheses, and quotation marks. Each of these markers is considered a distinct type of skirstinys that conveys specific syntactic or semantic functions. For example, a comma acts as a mild pause separating closely related elements, while a semicolon indicates a stronger separation between independent clauses yet maintains a closer relationship than a full stop.

In typography and digital typesetting, the term skirstinys may also refer to visual separators such as bullet points or numbering, which help organize lists. While the word itself is neutral, the specific choice of skirstinys is guided by grammatical conventions and stylistic preferences.

Overall, skirstinys encapsulates the broad concept of textual segmentation in Lithuanian grammar, playing a key role in readability and narrative flow.