Commision for Balkan Linguistics

Balkan linguistics, as a historically based philological discipline, focuses almost exclusively on the past. At the centre of a great deal of the research studies conducted to date has been the so-called Balkan sprachbund and its emergence. It was not until recent years that investigations into the present state of the Balkan sprachbund and predictions regarding its future were carried out. A number of developments, such as growing nationalism, ethnic homogenization and the monolingualisation associated therewith, point to an intensive change in the languages ​​of South-Eastern Europe and to an end of the Balkan sprachbund. This development is eclipsed, however, by the emergence of a new sprachbund. The increasing strength of European integration has also left its mark on the Balkan languages, taking it in the direction of a European sprachbund.

In order to address the various current issues of Balkan linguistics, the Commission of Balkanology of the International Committee of Slavists was founded in September 1993 during the XI. International Congress of Slavists in Bratislava. The Commission has since organised a series of relevant conferences (e.g. Marburg 1997; Saint Petersburg 2001; Sofia 2002; Saint Petersburg 2004; Belgrade 2006; Berlin 2008; Veliko Tărnovo 2009; Vienna 2010; Iași 2011; Venice 2015).

The Commission deals with issues of Balkan linguistics from the perspective of contact and areal linguistics, while still considering the various sub-disciplines regarding the Balkan area, such as Albanian Studies, Romanian Studies, Southern Slavic Studies and Modern Greek Studies. Moreover, experts from all relevant countries come together at regular intervals to discuss the current issues in the field of Balkan linguistics.