Seventh International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics
22-27 August, 1994
Leiden, The Netherlands
 

The Department of Languages and Cultures of South-East Asia and
Oceania at Leiden University is the organizer of the Seventh
International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics (ICAL),
which will be held from Monday 22 August to Saturday 27 August,
1994. The general emphasis of the conference will be on the
presentation of primary language data. Descriptive, historical,
sociolinguistic and creolistic papers dealing with Austronesian
languages, especially when they are based on primary language
data, are welcomed. 

Since 1974, international conferences on Austronesian linguistics
have been held at regular 3 - 4 year intervals, most recently in
May 1991 in Honolulu. Their purpose is to give Austronesianists
from all over the world the opportunity to meet each other and
to present and discuss the most recent developments in their
field. These conferences have always been scientific events of
the highest standard. It is the first time that this conference
will be held outside the Pacific area. For Leiden to be chosen
as the venue is a sign of the international recognition of the
Leiden University as an important centre of Austronesian studies.

Austronesian linguistics is the branch of linguistics that
specifically studies the languages of the Austronesian language
family. Geographically this language family is the world's
largest: it stretches from Madagascar in the west to the
Polynesian outliers in the east, from Hawaii in the north to New
Zealand in the south. The descriptive and comparative study of
its languages is intimately tied up with the historical issue of
how such an immense area came to be inhabited by people speaking
related languages.

During the conference papers will be presented in the following
fields of Austronesian linguistics: historical and typological
studies; oral tradition; relationships between Austronesian and
Papuan languages; and the phonetics, phonology, morphology and
syntax of individual Austronesian languages. A special section
of the conference will be devoted to the topic of endangered
languages, because this constitutes a relevant theme in the field
of Austronesian linguistics. 

The conference will draw approximately 200 participants. So far
180 have registered 154 of whom will present a paper. Those who
are interested in attending the conference can apply to the
Organizing Committee for a registration form. Participants are
invited to present a paper. The language of the conference will
be English and there will be no translation facilities at the
conference. Therefore, papers should be written and presented in
English. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 1 January
1994. The deadline for the full paper is 1 May 1994. 

The first and second circular including the registration forms
will be sent on request by:

The Organizing Committee ICAL, Projects Division, Department of
Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Rapenburg 35, 2311 GG Leiden. The Netherlands. Telephone
071-272416/272419. Telex: BURUL NL 39427. Telefax: 071-272632.