Conference Program
24th Biennial Conference on Balkan and South Slavic Linguistics, Literature & Folklore
Conference Program
University of Newcastle, NUspace Campus
Corner Hunter and Auckland St, Newcastle
All sessions will be held in X803, level 8 of NUspace
Wednesday, May 20
9:15 – 10:00 Registration (NUspace Ground Floor)
Morning Tea (NUspace Level 8) (catered)
10:00 – 10:30 Conference Opening (NUspace Level 8 – X803)
Session 1: The Balkan Sprachbund
Chair: Robert Greenberg, University of Newcastle
10:30 – 10:55 Brian Joseph, Ohio State University
Variation with ND Clusters in Greek and in the Balkans: Some New Perspectives
10:55 – 11:20 Andrey N Sobolev, Philipps-Marburg University (Zoom)
Functional Grammar of the Balkan Sprachbund: Current State of the Project
11:20 – 11:45 Bill Palmer, Jaime Hunt and Nika Zoričic, University of Newcastle
The Assignment of Grammatical Gender to English Loan Nouns in Three Balkan Languages
11:45 – 13:00 Lunch (self-catered – see appendix for lunch options)
Session 2: Language and Culture
Chair: Mojca Nidorfer, University of Ljubljana
13:00 – 13:25 Bavjola Gami Shatro, University of Mississippi (Zoom)
Religious Persecution and the Rhetoric of Resistance in Communist Albania: Fr. Pjetër Meshkalla
13:25 – 13:50 Saša Vojtech Poklač, University of Ljubljana
Stone in the Slovenian Language and Culture
13:50 – 14:15 Paul Foster, Montana State University Billings
Languages, Cultures, and Coexistence: The South-East European University in Tetovo – Then and Now
14:15 – 14:30 Afternoon Tea (catered)
Session 3: Albanian Linguistics
Chair: Brian Joseph, Ohio State University
14:30 – 14:55 Lindon Dedvukaj, Ohio State University (Zoom)
The Dialectal Split of Gheg and Tosk Albanian: A Case of Contact-Induced Phonological Change
14:55 – 15:20 Tom Kingsley, University of Georgia
Do You Hear What I Hear: Perceptual Merger in the Albanian Palatal Occlusives
15:20 – 15:45 Ledio Hala, University of Zurich/University of Regensburg
Measuring Convergence: A Corpus-Based Perspective on the Making of Standard Albanian
15:45 – 16:10 Elira Luli, Luarasi University
Albanian Identity: A Cultivated Brand Shaped by Language, Traditions, and Religious Tolerance
16:10 – 16:25 Session Break
Session 4: Macedonian Linguistics
Chair: Grace Fielder, University of Arizona
16:25 – 16:50 Victor Friedman, University of Chicago
Indexing, Marking, and Agreement: On the Syntax of Obscenity in Macedonian and Other South Slavic Languages
16:50 – 17:15 Elena Petroska, Montana State University Billings
Borrowed Pragmatic Markers in Macedonian: From Ottoman demek to Global okej
17:15 – 17:40 Marija Pandeva and Boban Karapejovski, University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje
Through the Codificator’s Lences – Inside Koneski’s Archives
17:40 – 18:05 Motoki Nomachi, Hokkaido University
Nikita Tolstoj’s Unpublished 1949 Study of Žinzifov’s Idiolect
Thursday, May 21
Session 5: Language Contact
Chair: Motoki Nomachi, Hokkaido University
8:45 – 9:10 Lumnije Jusufi, Humboldt University of Berlin (Zoom)
Language for Specific Purposes and Contact-Induced Change in Albanian: Germanisms and Italianisms
9:10 – 9:35 Alexander Novik, Russian Academy of Sciences, and Marina Domosiletskaya, Russian Academy of Sciences
Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) in Kosovo: Nominations in Ethnic Contacts
9:35 – 10:00 Paul Wexler, Independent Research Scholar
The Spread of Chinese Influences to the Balkans by Jewish Silk Road Merchants (10th–13th Century)
10:00 – 10:25 Morning Tea (catered)
Session 6: Bulgarian and BCMS Linguistics
Chair: Ronelle Alexander, University of California at Berkeley
10:25 – 10:50 Grace Fielder, University of Arizona
The Life of a Linguistic Variant in the History of the Bulgarian Literary Language
10:50 – 11:15 Eleonora Yovkova-Shii, University of Toyama
Copular Sentences and Information Structure - A Case Study from Bulgarian
11:15 – 11:40 Andrea Sims, Ohio State University, and Maria Copot, University of Surrey
A Large-Scale Lexicon of Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian Nouns, with Inflectional Information
11:40 – 12:05 Bojan Belić, University of Washington
The Fluid Domain of BCMS Animacy
12:05 – 13:05 Lunch (self-catered – see appendix for lunch options)
Session 7: Folklore and Language
Chair: Ksenia Klimova, Moscow State University
13:05 – 13:30 Anastasia Floraki, Democritus University of Thrace (Zoom)
Dialect Identity and Folklore: The Tinian Vernacular in the Context of Greek and Balkan Oral Traditions
13:30 – 13:55 Mesut Idriz, University of Sharjah
History and Influence of Arabic and Islam on Balkan and South Slavic Linguistics, Literature, and Folklore
13:55 – 14:10 Afternoon Tea (catered)
Session 8: Balkan and South Slavic Literature
Chair: Alojzija Zupan Sosič, University of Ljubljana
14:10 – 14:35 Anastasia Romanova, Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (Zoom)
Peculiarities of Some Smells Code in Mircea Eliade’s Literature Space
14:35 – 15:00 Isidora Belić, University of Novi Sad (Zoom)
Mediterranean and the Balkans in the Oeuvre of Vladan Desnica: Auto- and Hetero-Images of Space and Cultural Memory
15:00 – 15:25 Evgeniia Shatko, Institute of Slavic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
The Image of (Traumatised) Sarajevo in “Besieged” Literature
15:25 – 15:40 Session Break
Session 9: Balkan Linguistic Practices: History, Society, Data
Chair: Gleb Pilipenko, Russian Academy of Sciences
15:40 – 16:05 Anna Leontyeva, Institute of Slavic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, and Maxim Makartsev, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
The Ottoman Taxation Cadaster of the 1802 (RGB 186/1/15) as a Source for the Sociolinguistic Situation in the East Slavic–East Romance Borderland: Initial Considerations
16:05 – 16:30 Ksenia Klimova, Moscow State University
The Lexicon and Structure of Pomak Calendar Rituals in Greece: A Field Study in the Xanthi Region
16:30 – 16:55 Elena Uzeneva, Institute of Slavic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
Language and Traditional Culture at the Crossroads: Ethnolinguistic Study of Pomaks in Edirne, Turkey
16:55 – 17:20 Maxim Makartsev, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
Adjectival and Adverbial Gradation in the Slavic Dialects of Albania: A Corpus Approach
Conference Dinner
18:30 – 21:30 Customs House
1 Bond St Newcastle, Customs Hall Function Room
Join us for the conference dinner at Customs House, one of Newcastle’s most iconic venues, with the evening to be held upstairs in the Customs Hall function room. Dinner will be served as a set alternate drop menu. Attendees will not be charged for food; however, beverages will be available for purchase at guests’ own expense.
Customs House is located a short distance from the conference venue. The quickest way to get there is via the Newcastle Light Rail service, which has a stop just outside of NUspace (Civic station). For attendees wishing to make the journey to dinner together, we would recommend meeting at NUspace just after 6pm and then catching the Light Rail from Civic station to Newcastle Beach station. From there, it is a very short walk to the dinner venue.
You can pay for your journey on the Light Rail with a credit card at the station. You will be required to “tap on” before you enter the vehicle, and “tap off” after you leave the vehicle. This will ensure you are charged the correct amount for your journey.
Friday, May 22
10:00 – 10:25 Morning Tea (catered)
Session 10: Poetry and Theatre
Chair: Paul Foster, Montana State University Billings
10:25 – 10:50 Ronelle Alexander, University of California at Berkeley
Back to the Future: Vasko Popa Revisited
10:50 – 11:15 Alojzija Zupan Sosič, University of Ljubljana
Reading a Poem as a Literary Ecology
11:15 – 11:40 Mateja Pezdirc Bartol, University of Ljubljana
The Secret Life of Trees in the Theatre Productions of Žiga Divjak
11:40 – 12:05 Anastasia Usacheva, Independent Research Scholar
The Balkan Wars of the 1990s: The Dramaturgy of Trauma and Memory in the Plays of Matei Vișniec
12:05 – 13:05 Lunch (catered)
Session 11: South Slavic Languages Beyond the Region: The Australian Context and Other Settings
Chair: Andrea Sims, Ohio State University
13:05 – 13:30 Jasna Novak Milic, Macquarie University
Shifting Language Practices in the Croatian Community in Australia
13:30 – 13:55 Jim Hlavac, Monash University
Croatian and Macedonian Heritage Language Maintenance and Shift in Australia
13:55 – 14:20 Teon Djingo and Dragica Popovska, University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje (Zoom)
Expressions of Cultural Identity: The Macedonian Community in Australia
14:20 – 14:45 Mojca Nidorfer, University of Ljubljana
Factors Influencing Motivation to Enrol in Slovenian Language Courses or Studies at Universities Around the World
14:45 – 15:00 Afternoon Tea (catered)
Session 12: Bosnian and Montenegrin Perspectives
Chair: Bojan Belić, University of Washington
15:00 – 15:25 Tamara Butigan, University of Auckland and Robert Greenberg, University of Newcastle
Acceptability Ratings of Doublets in Bosnian: Cognitive and Sociolinguistic Constraints on Language Change
15:25 – 15:50 Biljana Konatar Weber, University of Kansas (Zoom)
Changing the Script Order: Preferences for and Attitudes Toward Cyrillic and Latin Scripts in Montenegro
15:50 – 16:15 Gleb Pilipenko, Institute of Slavic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
Dialect and Contact Features in the Speech of the Descendants of Montenegrin Immigrants in the Argentine Province of Chaco (According to Field Research Data)
16:15 – 16:40 Lejla Vesković, Ohio State University
Reimagining Community in Exile: The Russian-speaking Diaspora in Montenegro Following the War in Ukraine
Saturday, May 23
10:00 – 10:25 Morning Tea (catered)
Session 13: Aspects of Croatian Language and Identity
Chair: Robert Greenberg, University of Newcastle
10:25 – 10:50 Chloe Castle, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Are Heritage Language Varieties Influenced by Attrition, Attainment, or Grammatical Borrowing? A Project to Examine Croatian in the Diaspora
10:50 – 11:15 Monika Batur, Ivana Hebrang Grgic and Jasna Novak Milić, University of Zagreb
Titles as Paratext in Croatian Diaspora Serial Publications in South America
11:15 – 11:40 Petar Vuković, University of Zagreb (Zoom)
Language Counselling in Croatia: Changing Attitudes
11:40 – 12:05 Eldina Lovas and Ivan Armanda, Croatian Institute for History and Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography
The South Slavic World Through the Eyes of a Jesuit Missionary: Bartol Kašić’s Missionary Journeys in Eastern Croatia, Bosnia, and Syrmia
12:05 – 12:30 Anđelko Vlašić and Janja Kovac, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek
Evliya Çelebi as a Source for the Folklore and Linguistics of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
12:30–13:00 Closing Reception, Thank You and Closing Remarks
Sunday, May 24
Excursion
10:30am – 14:30pm Blackbutt Nature Reserve
Carnley Avenue, Newcastle
Join us for a visit to Blackbutt Reserve, one of Newcastle’s best-loved natural attractions, with 182 hectares of bushland, free native wildlife exhibits, walking trails and picnic facilities. The area features native wildlife including koalas, wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, emus and native birds, along with green space and picnic shelters.
A Critter Encounter will be included as part of the visit — a 45-minute hands-on learning experience held in the Wildlife Arena, offering the opportunity to meet, touch and handle some of Blackbutt’s favourite animals.
The bus to the reserve from NUspace will leave from the University House King St bus stop at 10:30am for an 11:00am departure, with the return bus departing the reserve at 2:00pm. Light catering will be provided.
If you’ve already checked out of your accommodation, the conference organizing committee can securely store your luggage while you attend this excursion. Please talk to one of your helpful staff for assistance in organising this.
Appendix
Lunch and Coffee Options
- Mama Ally Espresso (ground floor, NUspace) – The most convenient on-campus option for a quick coffee, snack or light lunch, with grab-and-go food available right inside the building.
- The Press Book House (462 Hunter St) – A cosy café-bookstore directly opposite NUspace, known for great coffee, fresh toasted sandwiches and shelves of books, making it a good choice for a quieter coffee or lunch stop.
- New Slang Coffee Brewers (480 Hunter St) – A specialty coffee spot almost opposite NUspace, serving espresso and filter coffee alongside a simple brunch menu and house-baked treats.
- Civic Lunch Delights (389 Hunter St) – A handy casual lunch bar focused on fast, fresh and affordable lunches, with sandwiches, wraps, and other quick takeaway options.
- Subway (1A/317 Hunter St) – A familiar fast-food option for customisable sandwiches, wraps and salads, good if you want something quick, simple and easy to tailor to your taste.
- Rascal (Ground Floor, 1/266 King St) – A popular Newcastle burger spot serving burgers, fried chicken, sides and shakes, with a strong local focus and a more indulgent fast-casual feel.
- Newy Kebab (315 Hunter St) – A versatile takeaway option for kebabs, snack packs, burgers, wraps, fish and chips, breakfast and coffee, making it a solid pick for a bigger, more filling meal.
- Finn Poke Newcastle (352 Hunter St) – A fresh, health-focused option specialising in Hawaiian-inspired poke bowls made with local produce and sustainably sourced seafood, offering a lighter alternative for lunch. The menu includes signature bowls, build-your-own bowls, sashimi, sides and juices, and the venue is open daily from 11am to 8pm.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.