Kabeliai

Kabeliai is a village in Varėna district municipality, in Alytus County, in southeastern Lithuania. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 168 people.^[1]

Kabeliai
Village
Street of Kabeliai
Kabeliai Show map of Varėna District Municipality Kabeliai Show map of Lithuania
Coordinates: 53°57′11″N 24°17′49″E
Country	Lithuania
County	Alytus County
Municipality	Varėna district municipality
Population  (2021)
• Total	122
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

According to the 1921 census, the village was inhabited by 258 people, among whom 240 were Roman Catholic, 4 Orthodox, and 14 Mosaic. At the same time, 8 inhabitants declared Polish nationality, 1 Belarusian, 14 Jewish and 235 Lithuanian. There were 44 residential buildings in the village.^[2]

In the years 1921-1945 the village was within the borders of Poland.

Kabeliai village is located c. 24 kilometres (15 mi) from Druskininkai, 19 kilometres (12 mi) from Marcinkonys, 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from Ašašninkai (the nearest settlement) and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the Belarusian border.

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1959 278 —     1979 259 −6.8% 1989 255 −1.5%	Year Pop. ±% 2001 229 −10.2% 2011 168 −26.6% 2021 122 −27.4%
Source: 1959, 1979, 1989, 2001, 2011

Etymology

The name Kabeliai is of unclear origin. It may be from a Lithuanian personal name Kabẽlis which is known only from Panevėžys region and possibly comes from a word Lithuanian: kabelis ('a hang, a crook, a gaff'). Otherwise, it could be from Slavic personal names Polish: Kabel, Kobiel, Kobel, Kobil, Belarusian: Кобель which descent from Belarusian: кабель, кобель 'a male wolf, a male dog, a womaniser'. It could be directly from this word as it is said that Kabeliai was a hunting dog breeding place. Finally, Belarusian: кобялка, Polish: kobiałka mean 'a basket', so it could mean 'a basket weathers' place'.^[3]