Department of Dialectology
Address:
Veveří 967/97
602 00 Brno
Scope of research:
The Department of Dialectology is the only academic institution in the Czech Republic that systematically researches non-standard forms of the Czech national language. Alongside traditional dialects and the development of interdialects, the department explores the characteristics of informal spoken language, even in areas with varying levels of migration, i.e. cities and border areas. The department’s current research focuses on the dialectal lexis, including both common and proper nouns.
Current projects:
Slovník nářečí českého jazyka (Dictionary of Czech Dialects)
Supervisor: PhDr. Martina Ireinová, Ph.D. (2020–); PhDr. Stanislava Kloferová, CSc. (2011–2019)
The Slovník nářečí českého jazyka is the first and only dictionary covering the dialectal lexis of the entire territory of the Czech national language. It presents the vocabulary of dialects from Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia from about the last 150 years. The extensive collection of background material for the dictionary is stored in the Archiv lidového jazyka (Archive of Folk Speech). It is under continuous development through the addition of excerpts from both handwritten and printed sources as well as material from field research. An electronic version of the dictionary has been available since 2016.
Český jazykový atlas (Czech Linguistic Atlas; Volume 1, Praha 1992; reprint 2004; Volume 2, Praha 1997; Volume 3, Praha 1999; Volume 4, Praha 2002; Volume 5, Praha 2005; Supplements, Praha 2011)
Supervisor: PhDr. Martina Ireinová, Ph.D. (2020–); PhDr. Libuše Čižmárová, CSc. (2012–2019; electronic version); PhDr. Jan Balhar, CSc. (until 2011)
The six-volume Český jazykový atlas is the cornerstone reference work in Czech studies. It provides an overview of dialects of the Czech national language both synchronically and diachronically. Volumes 1-5 of the Český jazykový atlas took second place in the Union of Translators and Interpreters’ 2008 Dictionary of the Year competition. The Atlas was also awarded the jury’s first prize for the best monolingual dictionary.
The Atlas was published in print between 1992–2011. In 2016, the second electronic, revised and extended version (PDF format) was published. Maps and reference sections are also available online in a HTML version.
Slovník pomístních jmen na Moravě a ve Slezsku (Dictionary of Minor Place Names in Moravia and Silesia)
Supervisor: PhDr. Milena Šipková, CSc.
The Slovník pomístních jmen na Moravě a ve Slezsku contains extensive and characteristic anoikonyms (minor place names) from the historical region of Moravia and part of Silesia. A digital database of anoikonyms is gradually being developed (containing names collected between 1965 and 1986; 225,000 items). Dictionary entries have been available online since 2014: SPJMS.
All three online resources (the Czech Linguistic Atlas, Dictionary of Czech Dialects and Dictionary of Anoikonyms in Moravia and Silesia) were developed using the same software (and have the same website design). In the future, these three online resources can be merged to create a unique, broad and appealing reference – a resource that would be first of its kind not only in Europe, but in the world. It would provide a comprehensive view of the Czech dialectal lexis, including both common and proper nouns.
Slovanský jazykový atlas (Slavic Linguistic Atlas; Общеcлавянский лингвистический атлас – OLA)
Supervisor (Czech engagement): PhDr. Martina Ireinová, Ph.D.
This international project engages universities and academic research institutions from all of the Slavic nations in Europe. To date, 18 volumes covering phonetic and lexical topics have been published. The volume Reflexy *tort, *tolt, *tert, *telt, *ort, *olt (The reflexes *tort, *tolt, *tert, *telt, *ort, *olt; 2019) was edited by PhDr. Martina Ireinová, Ph.D., and Mgr. Petra Přadková, the Czech participants in the project. The volume was awarded a Certificate of Merit in the Czech Union of Translators and Interpreters’ 2020–2021 Dictionary of the Year competition. It was also awarded a Certificate of Merit in the 2020 Publishing House Academia Awards competition.
Details about the project available here.
Evropský jazykový atlas (Linguistic Atlas of Europe; Atlas Linguarum Europae – ALE)
Supervisor (Czech engagement): PhDr. Milena Šipková, CSc.
This linguistic and geographical work was compiled under the auspices of UNESCO, through a broad collaborative effort between academic research institutes and universities in European countries. The ALE project began in 1970, when the first meeting of European dialectologists took place in the Netherlands. Nine volumes have been published to date containing 84 items. The Czech participants in the project are PhDr. Milena Šipková, CSc., and, until 2019, PhDr. Libuše Čižmárová, CSc. These two researchers prepared the item “játra” for the 9th volume (map I.102) and the items “zub” and “včela” for the 10th volume.
Archiv lidového jazyka (Archive of Folk Speech)
Supervisor: PhDr. Milena Šipková, CSc.
The archive has been under development since 1952. It is a compilation of dialectal material contained in older dictionaries and other works, both printed and handwritten, and material obtained by correspondents. The archive serves as one of the sources of the Dictionary of Czech Dialects. It has been digitised and is continuously updated with excerpts from dissertations and other works as well as from direct field research (about 1.5 million entries).
Archiv zvukových záznamů nářečních promluv (Archive of Sound Recordings of Dialectal Speech)
Supervisor: Mgr. Marta Šimečková, Ph.D.
The archive is still a work in progress. Recordings of dialectal speech, collected during research for the Czech Linguistic Atlas and subsequently, and stored on tape recordings, have been digitised in collaboration with Czech Radio. The recordings are currently being described and backed up. Some were used in the sixth volume of the Czech Linguistic Atlas in the Supplements (printed in 2011). The archive is continuously updated with new audio recordings of dialectal speeches from field research.
Atlas českého jazyka 2027 (Atlas of Czech Language): nationwide research on Czech dialects after 50 years
Supervisor: PhDr. Martina Ireinová, Ph.D., principal investigator of the Ministry of Culture project (NAKI III), project ID: DH23P03OVV050 (2023–2027); co-investigator: prof. RNDr. Vít Voženílek, CSc., Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc
An online questionnaire called the Dotazník pro mapování nářečí (Questionnaire for Dialect Mapping) is currently being used to collect data for the project. The questionnaire is available to any native speaker of Czech and respondents are encouraged to fill it in.
Jazyková paměť regionů. Metody strojového učení pro uchování, dokumentaci a prezentaci nářečí českého jazyka (Linguistic memory of the regions of the Czech Republic. Machine learning methods for the preservation, documentation and presentation of Czech dialects)
Supervisor: Mgr. Marta Šimečková, Ph.D., co-investigator of the Ministry of Culture project (NAKI III), project ID: DH23P03OVV010 (2023–2027); principal investigator: Ing. Martin Karafiát, Ph.D., Faculty of Information Technology, Brno University of Technology; co-investigator: prof. RNDr. Vít Voženílek, CSc., Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc
Details about the project available here.
Staff members:
PhDr. Martina Ireinová, Ph.D.
vedoucí
Mgr. Stanislava Spinková, Ph.D.
Mgr. Bronislav Stupňánek, Ph.D.
Helena Svobodová