Thesis (doctoral)--University of Stockholm, 1983. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-95).

Inaug.-Diss.--Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Berlin. / Vita. Bibliography: p. [iv].

Thesis--Stockholm. / Extra t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes material in Latvian. Includes bibliographical references (p. 180-186).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Boston University, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [203]-216).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Boston University, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [203]-216).

Approved for public release; distribution in unlimited. / The collapse of the Soviet Union, and the associated end of global confrontation, has resulted in a dynamic process of changes, which has transformed the entire security situation in the Baltic Sea region. In recognition that NATO is becoming an organization able to extend stability and security throughout all of Europe, Latvia has considered membership into NATO a key to the solution of the Baltic security dilemma. This thesis examines the influence of NATO institutions on the Latvian security environment, in advance of Latvia's full-fledged membership into NATO. The analysis is particularly concerned with the gradual growth of various NATO cooperative institutions by which NATO will extend its influence in the strengthening of security and stability in the Baltic Sea region. The analysis concludes that NATO's involvement with Latvia has had multiple positive effects, including increased security, transformation of armed forces, and creation of a new framework in Latvian-Russian relations. / Captain, Latvian Armed Forces

The thesis covers construction, application and evaluation of a stemming algorithm for advanced information searching and retrieval in Latvian databases. Its aim is to examine the following two questions: Is it possible to apply for Latvian a suffix removal algorithm originally designed for English? Can stemming in Latvian produce the same or better information retrieval results than manual truncation? In order to achieve these aims, the role and importance of automatic word conflation both for document indexing and information retrieval are characterised. A review of literature, which analyzes and evaluates different types of stemming techniques and retrospective development of stemming algorithms, justifies the necessity to apply this advanced IR method also for Latvian. Comparative analysis of morphological structure both for English and Latvian language determined the selection of Porter's suffix removal algorithm as a basis for the Latvian sternmer. An extensive list of Latvian stopwords including conjunctions, particles and adverbs, was designed and added to the initial sternmer in order to eliminate insignificant words from further processing. A number of specific modifications and changes related to the Latvian language were carried out to the structure and rules of the original stemming algorithm. Analysis of word stemming based on Latvian electronic dictionary and Latvian text fragments confirmed that the suffix removal technique can be successfully applied also to Latvian language. An evaluation study of user search statements revealed that the stemming algorithm to a certain extent can improve effectiveness of information retrieval.

Glattochronology is a branch of linguistics which attempts to provide dates for a historical relationship between languages, as well as to establish degrees of lexical relationship. In much the same way as carbon 14 dating provides dates for archaeological finds, glottochronological analysis is a technique utilized to estimate linguistic prehistory. The hypothesis that a proto Balto-Slavonic language has existed in prehistoric times is tested in this paper. This test is based on the cognate count, which reflects the cognation, in percentages, of corresponding lexical forms in both languages. The validity of the results obtained in the cognate count is dependent on the method of determination of cognation. Therefore, only an extremely rigorous approach, in the comparison of corresponding farms in Latvian and Russian, can be accepted as a reasonably valid method of determining true cognation. The corpus of the cognate count consists of 207 items in either language. Each item is formed by corresponding free morphemes in both Latvian and Russian, and is designated as either a positive, or a negative item, depending on the cognation of the corresponding forms. The results of the cognate count are then processed according to the accepted glottochronological methods. According to the results obtained, it was concluded that the hypothesis, claiming a prate Balto-Slavonic language, had to be rejected due to insufficient evidence for such a language. It also appeared that a substantial increase in sample size could furnish this type of investigation with mare reliable results. The conclusions reached indicate that the determination of a genetic relationship between languages, with the aid of the glattochronological technique, tends to be inconclusive. It appears that glattochronological analysis is a valuable method for use in the determination of degrees, of relationship between languages. The results obtained from this type of analysis should be utilized in correlation to results obtained by other disciplines in an endeavour to reconstruct prehistory, as dates obtained via this technique should be viewed as not absolute but rather as relative measurements. / Arts, Faculty of / Linguistics, Department of / Graduate

The aim of this thesis is to describe origins, history, activity and influence of a Latvian religious movement called Dievturība, established in Latvia in the interwar period, interruption of their activities as a consequence of the Soviet occupation in 1940 and its renewal in exile, especially in the United States, where the followers of Dievturība built an important Latvian cultural centre, as well as its rebirth in the independent Latvia after 1990. With the help of the American Dievturi Latvian followers try to gain more attention through organizing cultural events and raise public awareness of Dievturība. Furthermore the thesis surveys origins of the movement's doctrine, contacts of Dievturība with folklore groups, attitude of its followers, Dievturi, towards politics and media and especially the significance of Dievturība for forming the modern Latvian society. Special attention is paid to Ernests Brastiņš, a founder of the movement, to his life, thoughts, ideas and plans connected with his effort to revive Latvian national cultural consciousness. There are also important the views of critics of Dievturība's doctrine and its understanding of pre-Christian Latvian religion, to which Dievturība relates. In my work I also try to outline the pre-Christian Latvian religion and to find differences...

This dissertation presents an analysis of the genre of conceptual novel created by the Latvian novelist Alberts Bels. Specifically, it deals with four novels that have been translated into the Czech language: The Investigator (1967), The Cage (1972), The Voice of a Herald (1973) and Insomnia (1987); however, the author focuses predominantly on People in Boats (1987), a novel that is yet to be translated and is regarded to be one of Bels's most accomplished novels. The selected extracts, translated by the author of this dissertation, are representative of the nature of Bels's work as well as of his artistic and personal contribution to the Latvian literature and culture in general. The dissertation focuses on literary interpretations of the selected works and treats them with regard to the period of their conception, because themes such as 'individual' and 'nation', 'time' and 'stream of history', human and ethical values and, above all, moral decline of an individual and of the entire society on the background of political and cultural development in Latvia become central in Bels's conceptual novels. Their conceptuality lies mainly in their highly compact form, through which Bels voices his philosophical ideas, implicit in the overtones of his novels.