24th Slovak Onomastic Conference "Continuity, Variability and Innovation in Onomastics"

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Continuity, Variability, and Innovation in Onomastics

17–19 August 2026 | Stará Lesná, High Tatras (Slovakia)

The Slovak Linguistic Society at the Ľudovít Štúr Institute of Linguistics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), together with the Slovak Onomastic Commission, warmly invite scholars and students to take part in the 24th Slovak Onomastic Conference, to be held from 17 to 19 August 2026 in the breathtaking setting of the High Tatras, at the SAS ACADEMIA Congress Centre in Stará Lesná.

About the Conference

In Slovakia, onomastics is regarded as an independent linguistic discipline that actively collaborates with other branches of linguistics and with a wide range of related scholarly fields. Although a universally accepted general theory of proper names has not yet emerged - and debates continue concerning proprial meaning and the relationship between appellatives and proper names - the Slovak onomastic tradition builds firmly on the theoretical and methodological foundations laid by Professor Vincent Blanár.

At the core of this tradition lies the understanding of the proper name as a linguistic sign sui generis, characterized by specifically onymic features, and by the close interconnection between the linguistic and onymic status of the proper name and its functioning in communication. This semiotic and functional-structural approach to proper names and onomastics has inspired not only Slovak scholars, but many researchers internationally.

The aim of the conference is to deepen and further develop Blanár’s theoretical legacy, especially in areas that have so far received less attention, and to address those domains where Slovak onomastics still sees room - and responsibility - for further advancement. This includes the use of innovative and variant methodological approaches in both comprehensive and partial analyses of different types of names.

At the same time, the organizers emphasize that the goal of onomastic research is not mere description. Empirical findings must be synthesized and interpreted in ways that genuinely advance theoretical knowledge in the field. The conference therefore seeks to critically examine whether new theoretical concepts, methods, and approaches are truly productive and innovative - or whether they sometimes represent only superficial borrowing from “neo-onomastic” disciplines, the revival of ideas long surpassed in onomastic theory, or the rebranding of well-established practices (such as the use of corpus data) as methodological breakthroughs.

Scientific Committee & Organizing Team

The conference is organized by an international team of leading onomasticians and linguists, including:

• doc. PaedDr. Ján Bauko, PhD.

• prof. dr hab. Artur Gałkowski

• prof. PhDr. Juraj Hladký, PhD.

• PhDr. Milan Harvalík, PhD.

• doc. PaedDr. Mária Imrichová, PhD.

• PhDr. Ľubor Králik, DSc.

• prof. Mgr. Jaromír Krško, PhD.

• prof. Svitlana Pachomova, DrSc.

• Sviatoslav Verbyč, DrSc.

• prof. PhDr. Pavol Žigo, CSc.
  (and many other distinguished members of the Slovak and international onomastic community)

Registration

• Registration method: Online via registration form

• Deadline: 15 April 2026

• Required for: Both active and passive participants

Conference Fees

• Standard fee: €100

• Doctoral students: €60

• Late payment: €120 / €80 (doctoral students)
  The fee covers conference organization, the gala dinner, coffee breaks, and the publication of the conference proceedings.

• Payment deadline: 15 July 2026

Papers & Publication

• Notification of acceptance: by 31 May 2026

• Publication format: Conference proceedings

• Full paper deadline: 30 November 2026

Conference Languages

• For Slavic participants: their native Slavic languages

• For non-Slavic participants: Slavic languages, English, and German

Practical Information

Details on accommodation, meals, and transport will be sent by 15 June 2026.
Accommodation and meals must be reserved by 30 July 2026.

Contact person: PhDr. Iveta Valentová, PhD. 📧 iveta.valentova@juls.savba.sk

Accommodation & Meals

Participants cover their own accommodation, meals, and travel costs. The SAS ACADEMIA Congress Centre offers discounted accommodation for conference participants (and accompanying family members) from 15–20 August 2026, with the possibility of extending the stay. Due to limited capacity, early booking is strongly recommended.

Breakfast is included in the accommodation price. Lunches and dinners are ordered and paid individually at the congress centre. The gala dinner and coffee breaks are included in the conference fee.

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📌 Why attend?
The 24th Slovak Onomastic Conference promises a rare combination of theoretical depth, methodological debate, and international dialogue, set against one of Central Europe’s most spectacular natural backdrops. It is an unmissable event for anyone working on names, naming, and the theory of proper names - past, present, and future.

Stručne po slovensky

Slovenská jazykovedná spoločnosť pri Jazykovednom ústave Ľ. Štúra SAV a Slovenská onomastická komisia pozývajú na 24. slovenskú onomastickú konferenciu s názvom Kontinuita, variabilita a inovácie v onomastike, ktorá sa uskutoční 17. – 19. augusta 2026 v Starej Lesnej vo Vysokých Tatrách (Kongresové centrum SAV ACADEMIA).

Konferencia nadväzuje na teoretické a metodologické východiská slovenskej onomastickej školy (V. Blanár) a kladie dôraz na kritickú reflexiu nových prístupov, metód a konceptov v onomastike. Cieľom je nielen opis onymického materiálu, ale aj jeho syntéza a posun teoretického poznania.

Prihlášky (aktívna aj pasívna účasť) je potrebné podať do 15. 4. 2026. Konferenčné jazyky sú slovanské jazyky, angličtina a nemčina. Konferencia ponúka odborný program, zborník príspevkov a stretnutie medzinárodnej onomastickej komunity v jedinečnom horskom prostredí.