Naujienos

The Institute of the Latvian Language at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia invites you to participate in the international scientific conference commemorating the 154th birth anniversary of Academician Jānis Endzelīns, titled "Language Beyond Norms: Freedom, Boundaries, and Responsibility." The conference will take place on 22–23 February 2027 at the University of Latvia (Kalpaka Boulevard 4, Riga).

Linguists study language norms, explain them, and encourage people to follow them. However, language is not confined to what is regulated, accepted, and customary. It also manifests itself beyond established boundaries – through forms considered incorrect, undesirable, impolite, offensive, unusual, or even prohibited, as well as through deliberate departures from convention, creative experimentation, and new modes of expression.

The conference aims to examine how linguistic boundaries emerge and change across different historical periods, social groups, and communicative situations. To gain a full understanding of these processes, it is essential to consider the experiences of language users, expert practices, and scholarly perspectives.
We welcome proposals for research on linguistic innovation, including slang and unconventional forms of expression; taboo vocabulary; hate speech; censorship and self-censorship; contributions addressing the boundaries of freedom of expression, restrictions on language use, and accountability for what is said.

Conference languages: Latvian, Lithuanian, English, and German.
Duration of the presentation: 20 minutes presentation + 5 minutes discussion.

Please send the title of your presentation and an abstract (2,500–3,000 characters including spaces) by 31 December 2026 to endzelinakonference@gmail.com. Please include the following information about the author(s): first name and surname; academic degree; institution and position; telephone number*; email address.

Notification of acceptance will be sent by 1 February 2027. Please let us know if you require confirmation before the specified deadline.

Conference fee: EUR 80 (payable by 15 February, 2027). The fee covers a certificate of attendance, participant's folder, book of conference abstracts, coffee breaks, author's copy of the journal Linguistica Lettica.

Submitted articles on the basis of presentations will be blind reviewed. After the acceptance, the article will be published in the journal Linguistica Lettica.

More information about our conferences is available on our website: www.lavi.lu.lv.
E-mail: endzelinakonference@gmail.com.