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Leičiai ([lɛɪˈt͡ɕɪɐɪ],lay-CHAI; singular:leitis, also spelledlaičiai)[1][2] were a distinct social group of theLithuanian society in the earlyGrand Duchy of Lithuania subordinate to theLithuanian ruler or the state itself.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Leičiai were native to theLietuva Land and formed the core of the Lithuanian society in the pre-state era and during theestablishment of the state. Leičiai made up the majority of the military-economic staff of the state: they enforced state authority in the periphery, protected state borders, and performed various other war-related functions, such as breeding riding horses.[9] By the 15th and 16th centuries, leičiai were in decline, already losing some of their functions and prestige, and they disappeared as a social class after the implementation of theVolok Reform.[10]
According to the hypothesis brought forward by Lithuanian historianArtūras Dubonis and linguist Simas Karaliūnas, thename of Lithuania (Lietuva) derived from leičiai. Leičiai is an oldethnonym used byLatvians to denote the Lithuanians (leiši inLatvian) and was historically known to theGermans in the same sense.[11] Opponents to the hypothesis which attempts to relate the wordsleitis,leičiai andLietuva, claim that the formleičiai, leitis, with a diphthong -ei- instead of -ie-, is likely to be ofWestern Baltic origin.
Leičiai were war-like servants of a ruler, the staff enforcing his authority. Their duties were likely war-related, among which possibly were breeding riding horses, providing roadmen, protecting state borders. They were a possession of the monarch, that is, subordinates to the state and not to nobles. The first mention of them in written sources is known from 1407, when Grand DukeVytautas granted an estate and its staff, includingleytey, to Manvydas, then anelder ofVilnius. Later Grand DukesAlexander Jagiellon andSigismund I the Old used to transfer royal estates to nobles for a temporary administration in exchange for cash, which was needed to financecontinuous wars with theGrand Duchy of Moscow. These contracts are the majorprimary source on leičiai. Their name was rendered in various forms: leythey, leyty, leytten, litten, лейти, лейци, лейтеве, лойти, людей лейтъскихъ, etc.[9] These forms are considered to be the same as in у Лейтахъ – in Leičiai (administrative area).[12]
By the 15th century, this social group and their services were in decline. For example, one leitis fromvolost ofEišiškės, in a 1514 litigation against a minor landowner over his patrimonial plot, said that he was an "eternal leitis" (лейти звечный,leity zvechniy). From other sources of the first half of the 16th century, it is known that new people could not become leičiai although they could be accepted to perform the same services. Leičiai, unlikevilleins, owned their patrimonial plots, had the right to relocate and return, and were accountable for performing their duties as brethren and not as households. After theWallach Reform, leičiai became equal to other villeins and this distinct social group disappeared.[9]
Leičiai were replaced byboyars.[13]
The synonymy of the words leičiai and Lietuva is shown by the historical naming of one place nearAnykščiai in the times of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania. Ten villages in Anykščiaivolost was calledLeičiai, Lietuva, also possiblyLeituva: у Лейтахъ (1532; an example of Leičiai (as a place name) in writing); у войтовъстве Левътевскомъ (< Лейтевском; 1569), до Лейтовского рубежа (1545; possibly derived from Leituva);we … wojtowstwie Liejtowskim (1597); войтовъстве Летувъском (1595, 1597; derived from Lietuva or Lētuva).[9] Lithuanian -i.e.- was rendered as -и- or -е- in writing, or as -е- if it was -ē- instead of -i.e.-. A case of renderingKaršuva place name asw Korszewie, Korszewska, Korszewski powiat (16th century) shows that Левътевскомъ (< Лейтевском) could be reconstructed asLeituva. The variantLietuva orLētuva was also old, for example, the form of the name of the same place from the end of the 14th century:a Hilgebeke [...] usque Borchwal, nomine Lettow (fromŠventoji River up to the castle, of a name Lithuania). The location of this castle has been determined to be theŠeimyniškėliai hill fort. The word Lettow means Lithuania (compare, for example, an inscription ofJogaila's seal:Yagal, Dey gracia rex in Lettow; 1377–1386), the word 'castle' had maybe a meaning of the whole administrative area orvolost.
Theethnonymic meaning of leičiai, e.g. "Lithuanians", is known from several sources. This word is used by Latvians to name Lithuanians: leiši, sg. leitis. InSamogitian dialect there were wordsleičiuoti (to speak in other than Samogitian, or to speak inAukštaitian dialect) andleičiukas, leičiūkas (person speaking in another dialect than Samogitian, has an accent). Compare, for example, with modern Lithuanianžemaičiuoti (to speak in the Samogitian dialect). In historical written sources, an important example is known from one participant of theConference of Lutsk in 1429. John Steinkeller, who was a member of a council ofWrocław (Breslau), wrote in a letter addressed to his home town, thatSigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, was going to grantVytautas the title of theKing of Lithuanians:her wolde machen herczog Wytolten eynen konyng der Leytten.[11] The word forms, which have meanings Lithuanian, Lithuanians, Lithuania and are most likely derived from the wordleitis, are constantly found in the historical sources from the 14th and 15th centuries. For example, Lithuania is rendered as in writing asczwicshen Lythen und Prewssen (1415); asdas land Litten with a further clarification that it wasAukštaitija in a narrative of a participant or witness of theBattle of Strėva. The ruler of Lithuanians was rendered asdie Litischen konige in the chronicle ofWigand von Marburg.[9] It seems that the presence of such forms with -ei- in Latvian (more known in a western part), German and Samogitian dialect itself has a high possibility that the forms could derive from Western Balts, but it is unclear why they have no suffix -uva / -ava.
Simas Karaliūnas claims that the word Lietuva had a meaning of bodyguard, retinue, attendant soldiery, troops. Such use is recorded, for example, in Russian sources:krestil knjazja Litovskago imenem Evnutija i ego družinu Litvu (baptized the duke of LithuaniaJaunutis and his retinue Lithuania);I pšišed posol Totui i vydalKorjadą i ego družinu Litvu knjazju velikomuSemenu Ivanovičiu (and came an envoy Totui and handed Karijotas and his retinue Lithuania over to Grand Duke Semyon Ivanovich).[14] Karaliūnas accepts the synonymy of the words leičiai and Lietuva as proven and supposes that the word leitis, leičiai (< *leitiai) derives from the form *leitā, a synonym of *lietuvā, *leitavā, which, as it is shown above, had the meaning of armed retinue.
According to the hypothesis proposing the relation between leičiai and Lietuva, the name ofLietava, a small river which flows betweenNeris andŠventoji and which is the leading explanation for the origin of thename of Lithuania, should be an example of atoponym which was derived from leičiai. In the same area there isRukla town, maybe relating with the name Ruklys, son of KingMindaugas, and it is thought that leičiai could have lived in an estate now known as Perelozai located by Lietava. Among place-names considered to be derived from the word leičiai are, for example, Leičiai / Laičiai, Leitiškės(/-iai), Laiteliai villages inAukštaitija, Leičiai, Lietuva / Lētuva, Leitava area nearAnykščiai,[12] Leitkapiai (modern Mataitiškė, Nosaičiai), Laitikai (modern Laitekiai) placenames inSamogitia, etc. There are also surnames possibly derived from the word: Leita, Leitis, Leitanis, Leitanas, Leitonas, Leitėnas, Leičiūnas.
The hypothesis deriving Lietuva from leičiai was not accepted by linguistZigmas Zinkevičius, who claims that the diphthong -ei- shows aCuronian origin of the wordleičiai and that the wordlaičiai (place name) could not possibly be derived from *leičiai.[9] Dubonis' counterargument is that the use of such form is present in historical sources.
In the video gameAge of Empires II: Definitive Edition, the Leitis appears as the unique unit of the Lithuanian civilization as a cavalry unit whose attack ignores melee armor.[15]