Variation is a universal phenomenon permeating language, culture, and the entire worldview, and as such connects the different domains explored by the Centre of Excellence in Estonian Studies. We invite you to discuss the issues related to specific and common in variation in language, literature, folklore, and music, and the confluences and connections between different variations. The conference also features round-table discussions on the methods for studying variation and problems concerned with data (large and small databases, so-called bad data). We are open for suggestions for workshops, especially those dealing with interdisciplinary topics.

We expect presentations on different aspects of variation, for example:

• Synchronic and diachronic variation, levels of variation (individual, local, regional, historical), comparison of variants (registers, dialects, genres), factors influencing variation; methods for studying variation; variation in web environments;
• Intra-linguistic factors of linguistic variation (e.g. system constraints, regularities of linguistic changes);
• Extra-linguistic factors of linguistic variation (e.g. extra-linguistic context of language varieties, contacts with other languages and language varieties, language planning);
• Linguistic variations in folklore, variations in writer’s choices, usage of dialects in fiction;
• Variation as the main basis of dynamics of folklore, variation as an issue of typologisation;
• Variations of myths and motifs; intertextuality, transmediality;
• Cultural variation in the Baltic area incl. the Russian-language culture of the Baltic states;
• Type and variant in folk music, variational nature of traditional musical thinking.

Working languages of the conference are Estonian, English, Russian, and German.

Conference will be organised in workshops/panels When registering please select the panel you would like to participate.

P1 Historical Spelling Variation: The Role of External Variables/Historische Schreibvariation: Die Rolle externer Variablen P2 Keeleline varieerumine ja kirjakeele standardiseerimine/Linguistic variation and language standardization P3 Social and cognitive aspects of contact-induced language change/Keelekontaktidest johtuvate keelemuutuste sotsiaalsed ja kognitiivsed aspektid P4 Variation in folksongs P5 Modern variations and transformations of minor forms of folklore P6 Tantsu varieerumise uurimine videopõhise tantsuanalüüsi ja taaskehastamise kaudu/Study into dance variation (practical workshop) P7 History matters: the role of the past in contemporary spiritual movements P8 Varieerumine rahvajutus – varieerumine kultuuris: püsimine ja teisenemine, mäletamine ja unustamine, žanr ja kultuurikontekst/Variation in folk narrative – variation in culture: stability and variability, remembering and forgetting, genre and cultural context P0 Üldpaneel / Main section

Organisers: PUT 475 “Integrated model of morphosyntactic variation in written Estonian: A pilot study”, and the working group of the CEES on corpus-based linguistic, literary, and folklore studies.

The conference is supported by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence in Estonian Studies), and research projects PUT 475 and IUT 22-5 of the Estonian Research Council.
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Organising committee:
Helle Metslang, helle.metslang@ut.ee
Anne Ostrak, anne.ostrak@folklore.ee
Piret Voolaid, piret@folklore.ee
Mare Kõiva, mare@folklore.ee