Call for Papers: Collateral Data - Repurposing lexica as ethnographic sources

Call for Papers

Collateral Data

Repurposing lexica as ethnographic sources

Bergen, Norway (April 23rd-24th, 2026)

Well-known ethnographic sources tend to present their data explicitly. However, as studies such as Dictionaries as a Source of Folklore Data (2020) have demonstrated, it is also possible to find collateral ethnographic data in other sources, such as dictionaries. In such works, proverbs, rhymes, narratives, toponymic legends, plantlore, and customs and beliefs can be in the definitions, examples and appendices of dictionaries. Perhaps this is not surprising when we consider that folklorists such as Jacob Grimm, Elias Lönnrot, and Vuk Karadžić were also lexicographers. But this also applies to more humble works as well.

The symposium, which will be held at the University of Bergen on 23rd-24th April 2026, aims to spark discussion about the broader methodological implications of using such sources. What unique insights might these collateral sources offer in their oblique capture of cultural information? How do we assess the reliability of ethnographic information that appears incidentally rather than as the primary focus? How do different scholarly traditions vary in their treatment of such data? The keynote speakers will be Richard Coates (University of the West of England) and Angun Sønnesyn Olsen (University of Bergen).

Note, we will be including flora and toponymic compendia within the ambit of the symposium alongside general and specialized language dictionaries, but not including encyclopedias and other sources, that present ethnographic information front and centre.

Proposals are welcome that present particular dictionaries and their collateral data, discuss how best to use such unexpected harvests of knowledge, explore how the potential disadvantages and biases of such data may be overcome, and examine methodological approaches to integrating dictionary-derived data with other ethnographic sources.

We particularly encourage submissions that:

• Analyze historical dictionaries and their embedded cultural information
• Explore place-name volumes as repositories of folk beliefs and practices
• Investigate botanical lexica and their ethnobotanical implications
• Consider the role of example sentences and usage notes as windows into social life
• Examine how compilers' biases and historical contexts shaped these collateral data
• How to integrate the often-fragmentary data into the larger picture
• Present case studies of successful use of lexicographic and ethnographic materials
• Discuss what the implications of digitization are for collateral data

Papers should be 20 minutes in length, with 10 minutes for discussion. Please submit abstracts of no more than 300 words by December 1st, 2025 via the form at https://tinyurl.com/BergenData 

Notifications of acceptance will go out before the end of 2025.

For further information, please contact Peder Gammeltoft: Peder.Gammeltoft@uib.no