Balkanisms Today

This conference organized by the International Committee of Slavicists (Commission for Balkan Linguistics), the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the University of Vienna will take place in Vienna on 3-5 September 2010. For more details click here.

A new Rodopi title

British Literature and the Balkans.
Themes and Contexts.
Hammond, Andrew
Amsterdam/New York, NY, 2010, IV, 321 pp.

The manner in which south-east Europe is viewed by western cultures has been an increasingly important area of study over the last twenty years. Through a study of over 300 texts, the volume explores the emergence of the balkanist discourse in British fiction and travel writing in the imperial nineteenth century and its extensive transformations during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Read more at http://www.rodopi.nl/senj.asp?BookId=IMAGOL+16

New Book "South Slavic Discourse Particles"

South Slavic Discourse Particles

Edited by Mirjana N. Dedaić and Mirjana Mišković-Luković

Georgetown University / University of Kragujevac

Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 197

2010. ix, 166 pp.
Publishing status: Available

Hardbound – In stock
978 90 272 5601 0 / EUR 95.00 / USD 143.00

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e-Book – Not yet available
978 90 272 8812 7 / EUR 95.00 / USD 143.00
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Discourse particles, discourse markers and pragmatic markers refer to phenomena that linguists have begun to probe only since the mid-1980s. Long-ignored in traditional linguistics and textbook grammars, and still relegated to marginal status in South Slavic, these linguistic phenomena have emerged as invaluable devices for cutting-edge theories of the semantics/pragmatics interface. This book, which is a pioneering study in such linguistic phenomena in South Slavic languages, is also among the first of its kind for a related group of languages. It builds on the recent findings of some of the most influential linguistically-oriented theories, such as Relevance Theory, Argumentation Theory and coherence-based approaches to explain the meaning and use of certain discourse/pragmatic particles/markers in Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian and Slovene. These particles/markers are part of the contemporary and historical lexicons of the South Slavic languages, varying across regions and time, but also differing in origin. This book, which draws from naturally occurring data, written media and constructed examples, aims at a wider audience including scholars working in semantics/pragmatics and Slavic languages, and applied specialists interested in this area of research. The authors hope that this book will be conceived as a starting point for a structured inquiry into the flourishing field of discourse particles in South Slavic.

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Table of contents

Preface	vii–viii
Acknowledgement and dedication	ix
1. South Slavic discourse particles: Introduction Mirjana Mišković-Luković and Mirjana N. Dedaić	1–22
2. Ama, a Bulgarian adversative connective Grace E. Fielder	23–44
3. Kamo, an attitudinal pragmatic marker of Macedonian Alexandre Sévigny	45–63
4. Markers of conceptual adjustment: Serbian baš and kao Mirjana Mišković-Luković	65–89
5. The Bosnian discourse particle ono Aida Premilovac	91–108
6. Reformulating and concluding: The pragmatics of the Croatian discourse marker dakle Mirjana N. Dedaić	109–131
7. Pa, a modifier of connectives: An argumentative analysis Igor Ž. Žagar	133–162
Note on contributors	163–164
Index	165–166

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“The collection of studies in South Slavic discourse particles based on authoritative data is not only a very valuable contribution to Slavic Linguistics but also to the field of particle analysis and pragmatics as a whole. If it is true that discourse particles are procedural in nature guiding the interpretation process then it can be expected that markers with similar procedural functions will be found in diverse languages of the world.
Moreover, by choosing mainly two pragmatic models, the Relevance Theory of Sperber and Wilson and Ducrot and Anscrombre’s Theory of Argumentation and Topoi, the authors pay attention to various aspects of particle analysis (cognitive, communicative and argumentative) in a very successful way. It becomes more and more apparent that a single aspect for the analysis of particles and a single scope of application only covers part of the communicator’s intention of the communicator. In fact the authors have shown that not only the scope of utterance but also the level of discourse is indeed important to recognise in particle analysis. This collection provides also insight into the historical development of the particles from conceptual phenomena to procedural particles in a remarkable way. Moreover, every paper pays attention to clarity, detail and richness of data display. This is a work no linguist interested in discourse particles and pragmatics should ignore.”
Regina Blass, Professor of Linguistics and Translation Studies, Africa International University (AIU)

“The articles in this collection represent path-breaking studies in Slavic linguistics and in pragmatics. South Slavic discourse particles are arguably the most intractable elements for both analysis and translation, and the studies in this volume greatly advance our understanding of these vital phenomena.”
Victor Friedman, Andrew W. Mellon Professor, Slavic Languages and Literatures,University of Chicago

“A most interesting volume which – by offering in-depth analyses of discourse particles from a group of languages that so far have hardly been studied from this point of view – constitutes a very welcome contribution to current knowledge of the role that such particles play in communication.”
Maj-Britt Mosegaard Hansen, Professor of French Language and Linguistics, The University of Manchester

“This well-conceived and highly informative volume should be of particular interest to specialists in both discourse analysis and Slavic linguistics. Many readers will also benefit from the short survey of the sociolinguistic situation of the South Slavic languages which the book includes.”
Ranko Bugarski, Professor of English and General Linguistics, University of Belgrade

“This is a fascinating collection of studies about current spoken usage in each of the modern South Slavic languages. The level of theoretical discussion is sophisticated, yet all of the articles are accessible to anyone interested in language. Non-specialists will be particularly intrigued to see the ways in which these small but ubiquitous particles form a systematic part of the speech code of Bulgarians, Macedonians, Bosnians, Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.”
Professor Ronelle Alexander, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of California, Berkeley

“The South Slavic languages haven't always commanded the attention from linguists in general that they deserve. Moreover, discourse elements constitute a neglected topic within these languages. This well-conceived collection of interesting studies therefore enriches at once these two important areas of scholarly concern.”
Brian D. Joseph, Distinguished University Professor of Linguistics, and The Kenneth E. Naylor Professor of South Slavic Linguistics, The Ohio State University

“The studies in this volume provide fruitful extensions to our knowledge on the numerous functions of discourse particles with respect to text, discourse, argumentation and cognitive context. The volume thus contributes to our understanding of the challenges for theory development in the field.”
Kerstin Fischer, Associate Professor, University of Southern Denmark

Цветница, Diela e lulevet, Duminica florilor, Βαγιοτσυριατσή…

Posted on behalf of Irina Sedakova, Head of BALCANICA

A roundtable devoted to the vegetative code of Palm Sunday in the Balkan, Baltic and Slavic regions took place on 30 March 2010 at the Center for Linguistic and Cultural Studies BALCANICA of the Institute for Slavic Studies (Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow). Sixteen scholars from the Institute for Slavic Studies, the Moscow State University, the Russian State University for the Humanities, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, the Kunstkamera (Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in St. Petersburg) and the Folk Culture Center in Vilnius took part in the roundtable. Participants were distributed ahead of time questionnaires to focus the discussion on the most important linguistic and cultural issues such as the origins of the Palm Sunday terminology, the plant specimens associated with the festival, the correlation between church and laic rituals and the evolution of ideas about the plants consecrated on Palm Sunday in the Slavic, Baltic and Balkan traditions. The proceedings of the roundtable will be published in the journal Традиционная культура ‘Traditional Culture’.

Program of the roundtable:

И.А. Седакова. Вступительное слово
Л.И. Акимова. Погребальный убор царицы Шубад в контексте "Вербного воскресенья"
Е.В. Пчелов. "Чудо-дерево" Московского царства: верба в церемонии шествия на осляти в XVI - XVII вв.
О.В. Трефилова. Оппозиция молодой-старый resp. новый-ветхий в древнейших славянских переводах "Слов" на Вербное воскресенье
Т.В. Цивьян. Вербная тема в русской литературе ХХ в.: мерцающая мифология
Р. Балкуте, М.В. Завьялова. Традиции Вербного воскресенья в Литве: визуально-антропологический материал и комментарии
В.В. Усачева. Вербноe воскресеньe в польской народной традиции
М.М. Валенцова. Вербное воскресенье в чешской и словацкой традиции
В.Л. Кляус. Верба как символ "русского" дома в Трехречье (КНР)
Н.В. Злыднева. Процветшая плоть в балканской изобразительной традиции: к проблеме контаминации кодов
Н.Г. Голант. Duminica Floriilor и мифологические представления румын, связанные с растениями
М.М. Макарцев. Растительный код в «Балладе о мертвом брате»
А.А. Плотникова. Вербная (Лазарева) суббота: особенности девических обходов у балканских славян
С.А. Сиднева. "Statue vegetali" в калабрийских обрядах Вербного воскресенья
К.А. Климова. Τα βάγια νικητήτρια (пальма, лавр и другие растения) в греческой народной традиции
О.А. Кифишина. К вопросу об иве в древнегреческом ритуале и мифе

South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX)

South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX): "SEESOX is part of the European Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. It focuses on the interdisciplinary study of the relationship between European integration and the politics, economics and societies of the Balkans, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. Drawing on the academic excellence of the University and an international network of associates, it conducts policy relevant research on the multifaceted transformations of the region in the 21st century. It follows closely conflict and post-conflict situations and analyses the historical and intellectual influences which have shaped perceptions and actions in the region."

[Program of current activities]

A new study of language in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Tolimir-Hölzl, Nataša. (2009). Bosnien und Herzegowina: Sprachliche Divergenz auf dem Prüfstand. München: Kubon-Sagner. STUDIES ON LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE (SLCCEE), vol. 5


Linguistically, the past two decades in Bosnia and Herzegovina were characterized by the implementation of three official languages, "Bosnian", "Croatian" and "Serbian", which replaced the formerly used "Serbo-Croatian". What initially looked like a merely terminological change for ideological reasons has developed into a gradually growing language change along ethnic lines, which was also largely influenced by the neighbouring countries Croatia and Serbia, thus turning language planning in Bosnia and Herzegowina into a transnational issue.

In this study, slight changes in the language use of the first post-war school generation were measured. However, it turned out that there is a great difference between the standardization, acceptance and actual use of the three languages in question. It has become evident that these linguistic changes are not spreading out equally, but are only affecting the language use and speech of the majority members in certain regions. As a consequence, members of linguistic minorities tend to move or adapt, which leads to the establishment of separate linguistic regions rather than to the state planned equal trilingualism that was intended to support 'multilingual’ encounters by allowing everyone to learn and use his/ her recently defined and prescribed language anywhere within Bosnia.

A Rudolf Vogel Medal for Richard Swartz

At its annual meeting on 13 February 2010 the Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft (Southeast Europe Association) awarded a Rudolf Vogel Medal to the Swedish journalist and writer Richard Swartz . This distinction, which is annually bestowed on a renowned journalist who writes about the Southeast of Europe, goes for the first time to a foreign author. Richard Swartz lives in Vienna and works for the Stockholm daily Svenska Dagbladet, the German Süddeutsche Zeitung and other international newspapers. He has published a number of critically acclaimed books about Southeastern Europe, many of them translated into German and some into English: Room Service. Reports from Eastern Europe translated from the Swedish by Linda Haverty Rugg, New Press, 1998 and A House in Istria, translated from the Swedish by Anna Paterson, New Directions, 2002.

flipkart.com about Room Service:

Room Service offers detailed images of the people and places of Richard Swartz's adopted slice of Europe, and thoughtful reflection on his status as a privileged outsider. We meet Serbian poets and priests in the service of war, the bewitching wife of a Romanian bigot, a Czech factory manager turned hotel porter in the wake of 1968, Ceaucescu's masseuse, the king of all the gypsies, a cantor who is the last survivor of a Jewish community, and many others - famous, infamous, and anonymous - who take their places in a fascinating, moving, and sometimes cuttingly funny history of a region at the brink of enormous change. A rich, literary portrait of Eastern Europe in transition.

books.google.ca about A House in Istria

In formerly communist Eastern Europe, there are many empty houses. Inhabited in turn by very different families -- Jews, fascists, communists -- the houses now stand empty, decaying, the objects of countless lawsuits.
Richard Swartz's quirky and marvelous first novel revolves around one such house and the Western European man obsessed with it. Narrated by his wife, the action takes place over just seven blazing hot days in Istria, formerly Yugoslavia. His obsession drags his poor wife, a native of Istria, into long burlesque conversations with lawyers and owners; her out-of-control husband (who doesn't speak the language) involves them in surreal scenes with nearly insane characters. Since everything the husband knows (and everything the reader knows) must be channeled through the wife, we enter a world in which nothing is directly intelligible and everything is skewed. The unusual, antic, hilarious style calls Capek, Gogol, and Kafka all to mind.