The Lithuanian language, one of the oldest surviving Indo-European languages, traces its roots to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) language, spoken around 5,000 years ago. It is a member of the Baltic language group, alongside Latvian, but its deep connection to ancient Indo-European languages makes it particularly valuable to historical linguistics. The earliest written records of Lithuanian date back to the 16th century, with religious texts like the "Postilla" (1547) marking the beginning of Lithuanian literary history. Its development was shaped by the region's political and cultural history, with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania fostering its use alongside Old Church Slavonic and Polish. However, due to the partitions and foreign domination by Poland, Russia, and Prussia, Lithuanian faced periods of suppression and decline, especially in the 19th century.

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In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a movement for national revival and the preservation of the Lithuanian language emerged, fueled by a desire for cultural independence. This led to a revival in linguistic scholarship and the development of a standardized version of the language, which was established in the 20th century. The establishment of the Lithuanian Republic in 1918 further solidified Lithuanian's status as the official language. The Soviet occupation (1940–1990) posed another challenge, as the Soviet regime attempted to Russify the population. However, after Lithuania regained independence in 1990, Lithuanian regained its prominence, becoming the national language of the newly independent state. Today, Lithuanian remains one of the official languages of the European Union and is spoken by around 3 million people, continuing to be a symbol of national identity and cultural heritage.​​