Official Program for NARNiHS 2026
Eighth Annual Meeting
North American Research Network in Historical Sociolinguistics
A Sister Society of the Linguistic Society of America (LSA)
[ go to the site of the LSA 2026 Annual Meeting ]
==> Find the NARNiHS 2026 program also in the full LSA program.
Important money-saving note from the LSA about registration:
(for those attending NARNiHS 2026 in New Orleans)
“Registration for the Sister Society Annual Meeting is managed by the Linguistic Society of America. Sister Society members who wish to participate in the Sister Society Annual Meeting must register and pay for registration for the LSA Meeting as well as any additional registration fees for the Sister Society meeting. All Sister Society members receive the LSA member rate on their LSA registration. Those Sister Society members wishing to attend catered events at the Sister Society meeting must pay the associated additional event fee, to be collected by the LSA on behalf of the Sister Society. Those wishing to register on-site for the in-person meeting will be expected to pay the full amount owed in order to receive a badge for entry to Sister Society catered events.”
Friday, 9 January 2026
Welcome!
Time: 10:30–10:45 (U.S. Central Time – New Orleans)
Location: TBD
| 10:30 | Opening remarks Kelly Elizabeth Wright, NARNiHS Convenor (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA) |
Friday, 9 January 2026
Session 1: Investigating the sociocultural context at deeper time-depths
Time: 10:45–12:15 (U.S. Central Time – New Orleans)
Location: TBD
Moderator: Joshua Bousquette (University of Georgia, USA)
| 10:45 | Sacred Language Ideology within the Roman Imperial Cult from the Second Century BCE to the First Century CE. [abstract] Sung Min Park (McMaster Divinity College, Canada). |
| 11:15 | Sociohistorical linguistics is about to go medieval on early German. [abstract] Katerina Somers (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA). |
| 11:45 | Camaraderie / Networking / Break |
Friday, 9 January 2026
Session 2: Language variation, maintenance, and shift among immigrant communities
Time: 13:45-15:15 (U.S. Central Time – New Orleans)
Location: TBD
Moderator: Katerina Somers (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA)
| 13:45 | Verticalization and Language Shift in the Fox River Valley of Wisconsin. [abstract] Rachyl Hietpas (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA). |
| 14:15 | Home is Still the Social Center: Domain-specific German language use in southeastern Wisconsin, 1946-1949. [abstract] Joshua Bousquette (University of Georgia, USA). |
| 14:45 | Camaraderie / Networking / Break |
Friday, 9 January 2026
Session 3: The role of prestige in structural change
Time: 15:30-17:00 (U.S. Central Time – New Orleans)
Location: TBD
Moderator: Kelly Elizabeth Wright (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA)
| 15:30 | Register Hierarchies in Morphological Borrowing: Persian–Urdu Compound Structures from the Mughal to Colonial Periods. [abstract] Rabia Batool (University of Central Punjab, Pakistan). |
| 16:00 | Twelve Variables of Africatown English in 1927 and 1979. [abstract] Leah Nodar (Michigan State University, USA). |
| 16:30 | Camaraderie / Networking / Break |
Saturday, 10 January 2026
Session 4: NARNiHS 1st Quarter Steering Group Meeting (closed meeting)
Time: 13:45-15:15 (U.S. Central Time – New Orleans)
Location: TBD
Moderator: Kelly Elizabeth Wright (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA)
Note that this meeting is for elected NARNiHS Steering Group members only
and is planned for one and a half hours (90 minutes).
15:15-15:45 – Camaraderie / Networking / Break
Session 5: NARNiHS General Meeting (open to all)
Time: 15:45-16:45 (U.S. Central Time – New Orleans)
Location: TBD
Moderator: Joshua Bousquette (University of Georgia, USA)
Note that this meeting is OPEN to everyone interested in the field of
historical sociolinguistics and its promotion in North America.
This meeting is planned for one hour.