Recent publications in the history and philosophy of the language sciences – April 2026

Carnap, Rudolf. 2026 [1937]. La syntaxe logique du langage. Traduction et préface de J. Bouveresse. Note liminaire et établissement du texte par Pierre Wagner. Avec la collaboration de Baptiste Mélès. Paris: Gallimard (Bibliothèque de philosophie). 496 p. ISBN 9782070772421
Publisher’s website 

La syntaxe logique du langage est un classique de la philosophie du XXᵉ siècle, au sujet duquel Karl Popper relevait que « si jamais une histoire de la philosophie rationnelle de la première moitié de ce siècle devait être écrite, ce livre y occuperait une place qui ne le cède à aucune autre ». Figure centrale du Cercle de Vienne et de l’empirisme logique, Carnap (1891-1970) y introduit une nouvelle méthode philosophique fondée sur la distinction entre langage et métalangage, et une nouvelle approche — syntaxique — de l’analyse du langage.
Ce livre fondateur, longtemps caricaturé ou jugé difficile d’accès, a fait l’objet ces dernières décennies d’un grand nombre d’études qui en éclairent la signification et la portée au sein de la philosophie contemporaine.
Jacques Bouveresse (1940-2021), l’un des meilleurs spécialistes de la philosophie de Carnap, a porté ce projet de traduction durant près de cinquante ans. Il accompagne le texte d’une introduction qui éclaire ce grand classique de la philosophie analytique et de la littérature logique à la lumière des études les plus récentes.

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Posted in Publications

Cfp: Language, Norm, and Society: The Prague Linguistic Circle (1926-2026) in the Face of Contemporary Challenges

Participants at the first phonological conference, organized by the CLP in December 1930 in Prague

organised to celebrate the centenary of the Prague Linguistic Circle (1926-2026)
by the Europe-Eurasia Research Center (CREE-EA 4513) of INALCO
and
the History of Linguistic Theories Laboratory (HTL-UMR 7597, University of Paris, CNRS),
with the scientific support of the Institute for the Czech Language and Theory of Communication, Charles University (ÚČJTK).

10-11 December 2026
Paris, Inalco

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Posted in Conferences and workshops, Uncategorized

Podcast episode 59: Anna Wierzbicka

Portrait of Anna Wierzbicka

In this interview, we talk to Anna Wierzbicka about her life and research into semantics.

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Posted in Podcast

Manfred Bierwisch: Linguistics in Germany

Carla Umbach (University of Cologne)

Manfred Bierwisch at a talk by Ray Jackendoff, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, left Susan Olsen, Ilse Zimmermann, behind him Elisabeth Pankratz, 15.10.2018. Photo by Stefan Müller.
Manfred Bierwisch at a talk by Ray Jackendoff, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, left Susan Olsen, Ilse Zimmermann, behind him Elisabeth Pankratz, 15.10.2018. Photo by Stefan Müller. Wikimedia Commons

I would like to draw attention to an article by Manfred Bierwisch, who was a very prominent German linguist and did most of his scientific work in GDR. The article appeared recently in Annual Review of Linguistics. A brief summary is given below.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Podcast episode 58: Ryan Nefdt on linguistic relativity and AI

Cover of Linguistic Relativity by Pelletier and Nefdt

In this interview, we talk to Ryan Nefdt about the light latest work in “artificial intelligence” can cast on questions of linguistic relativity.

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Posted in Podcast

Cfp: SHESL Conference 2027

History of terminology – Diachronic terminology
The emergence of a terminological conscienceness

organized by Danielle Candel (SHESL / HTL), Pascaline Dury (CeRLA) & John Humbley (ALTAE)

28 – 29 January 2027
Maison de la recherche, 4 rue des Irlandais, Paris 5e

This conference, which follows the second francophone conference on diachronic terminology (held in Lyon in 2023), is intended to take stock of research in terminology carried out in a historic or evolutionary perspective. Two collective works have been published as an outcome of this second conference (Dury and Picton eds., 2024, and Humbley and Dury eds., in press). The former focuses on short-term diachrony in a contemporary context using large corpora with a view to tracking terminology as it changes over time in various areas (scientific and technological but also in the field of research or in the corporate sector).  The latter publication is more historic in scope. It covers states of terminology from the more distant past and how they may evolve. In addition to these two orientations, a further perspective illustrates terminology as it has emerged as a discipline (as reflected in the recent publication Warburton and Humbley eds. 2025).

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Posted in Conferences and workshops

Recent publications in the history and philosophy of the language sciences – March 2026

Miras, Grégory, Isabel Colón de Carvajal, Nathalie Blanc & Shona Whyte, ed. 2026. 60 Years of Applied Linguistics. Toward more engaged research. Amsterdam: Benjamins (AILA Applied Linguistics Series, 22) . 204 p. ISBN 9789027233929
Publisher’s website
Book in open access

For sixty years, applied linguistics has stood at the crossroads of language and society, by meeting real-world needs. 60 Years of Applied Linguistics: Toward more engaged research offers a compelling reflection on the field’s evolution while calling for a renewed commitment to socially responsive, ethically grounded scholarship. Inspired by the momentum of the 2023 AILA World Congress in France, this collective volume brings together leading international applied linguists to examine how applied linguistics has transformed in response to shifting political landscapes, technological change, and global challenges. From different perspectives, the contributors explore how research has both shaped—and been shaped by—the world we live in. Looking ahead, the book advocates for research that reaches beyond academic borders, engaging with communities, policymakers, and practitioners to confront contemporary issues. This book is an essential reference for scholars, students, and practitioners. It celebrates a rich intellectual legacy while charting bold new directions.

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Posted in Publications

Podcast episode 57: Brigitte Nerlich

Brigitte Nerlich portrait

In this interview, we talk to Brigitte Nerlich about her career in the history of linguistics and the public understanding of science

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Posted in Podcast

cfp: 13th International Conference on Missionary Linguistics

13th International Conference on Missionary Linguistics

Contributions to the Safeguarding of the World’s Linguistic and Cultural Heritage

University of Vigo, Spain (March 31 – April 1, 2027)

University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal (April 2–3, 2027)

Web: https://icml-xiii.utad.pt/

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Posted in Announcements, Conferences and workshops

Podcast episode 56: Nick Enfield on linguistic signs and concepts

Nick Enfield quote: "Word meanings are not just concepts, but concepts made public."

In this interview, we talk to Nick Enfield about his research into the connections between linguistic signs and concepts.

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Posted in Podcast

Upcoming events


2-4 September 2026
Nottingham (UK)
Henry Sweet Society Colloquium 2026
(Non-)Native Speakers in the History of Linguistic Ideas


10-11 September 2026
Fribourg (Switzerland)
The Prague Linguistic Circle in Geneva and Paris: Circulations and Decenterings


16–18 September 2026
Rome (Italy)
Studienkreis Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaft
Universality and Universals in the History of Linguistics


19-21 November 2026
Sofia (Bulgaria)
La linguistique ‘fonctionnelle’ cent ans après la fondation du Cercle linguistique de Prague


10-11 December 2026
Paris (France)
Language, Norm, and Society: The Prague Linguistic Circle (1926-2026) in the Face of Contemporary Challenges


28-29 January 2027
Paris (France)
SHESL Conference 2027
History of terminology – Diachronic terminology The emergence of a terminological conscienceness


31 March–3 April 2027
Vigo (Spain), Vila Real (Portugal)
13th International Conference on Missionary Linguistics


23-27 August 2027
Niterói, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
ICHoLS XVII